Alarm Yourself with MP3s

Posted By: Ryan Tuesday, November 25, 2003 9:57:38 AM

Toysoft has released a new version of wavAlarms. The application allows you to use MP3 files and other standard audio formats for richer sounding audible alarm alerts.

wavAlarms is the first Palm OS application which allows you to assign a uncompressed .wav, .mp3 or .ogg file to any application that has alarm functionality. You can now waking up in the morning to your your favorite song, instead of Concerto, bad fake bird, or the tired old "sci-fi" sound that has been the palm os standard piezo-speaker beep since the pilot 1000.

When the application's alarm is triggered, wavAlarms will play the sound file from the external card and then let the application sound the alarm. wavAlarms works with all applications with alarms. It uses and requires the PocketTunes audio application.

The app is compatible with the Tungsten T/T2/T3/E/C/Zire 71, Garmin, Tapwave and Sony Clie handhelds with Palm OS 4 and higher. A demo trial is available, the registration price is $11 USD.

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They weren't first per se...

skeezix @ 11/25/2003 11:29:02 AM #

Actually, my free tool "wavelet" was the first to let you use .wav files (or voice recorder sounds, which are also .wav files) for alarms on Palm OS. Theirs is the first to do it with mp3s and oggs, but of course it requires PT for that. Their tool is more full featured of course, since its payware, so I suggest people look into it if they want something fancy, but my tool is free and useful :)

http://www.codejedi.com/shadowplan/freestuff.html#summary3

jeff

The Shadow knows!

LookATMe already did this!

gfunkmagic @ 11/25/2003 12:09:40 PM #

You could also do this with the LookAtMe alarm/co-launcher. I use this all the time to launch mp3's as alarms...

Visit http://goodthatway.com/
-better living through better technology.

RE: They weren't first per se...

tl47 @ 11/25/2003 4:25:14 PM #

Hi, thanks for the pointer about LookAtMe. What an obscure little old program.

The way to use it is to keep PocketTunes to start playing on startup. And then have LookAtMe launch it at a preset time. It probably works fine... "probably" because I haven't really trialed it yet. You can get LookAtMe from palmblvd.com (do a google search on "LookAtMe Palm" if you need to). It is free/honorware.

O/S 4?

Serotta @ 11/25/2003 11:43:53 AM #

If it requires PocketTunes, and PT requires O/S 5, how is it O/S 4 compatible?

RE: O/S 4?

jjsoh @ 11/25/2003 11:51:02 AM #

I believe PT is only needed to play .ogg files as alarms. If you're just using wavAlarms for .wav or .mp3 files, you should be fine.

Jim

RE: O/S 4?

Toysoft @ 11/25/2003 3:41:38 PM #

Correct. wavAlarm is designed for PalmOS5 and works with SonyClie v4.x and OS5.x. For mp3 and ogg files you need PocketTunes 2.1 or higher. Without PT you can only play uncompressed wave files.

To heck with Alarms. I want to use mp3's as ringers!!!

gfunkmagic @ 11/25/2003 12:11:12 PM #

Is there any solution for this? I would love an app that would allow to use mp3's/wav file as ringers for my Treo600...

Visit http://goodthatway.com/
-better living through better technology.

Bah... nearly useless.

chrish @ 11/25/2003 2:30:02 PM #

From the manual: "(MP3 and OGG files
required PocketTunes™ v2.1 and higher)"...

RE: Bah... nearly useless.

Wuju @ 11/25/2003 3:31:21 PM #

So Does that mean it wouldn't work with Aeroplayer (The other MP3 player). Anyone tried the WavAlarm & Aeroplayer combination to see if it works?

RE: Bah... nearly useless.

Toysoft @ 11/25/2003 3:40:28 PM #

No it will not work. We have contacted the developer and they said sdk will not be released. Wihch is too bad.

Is it still buggy?

I.M Anonymous @ 11/25/2003 3:08:15 PM #

When I used the old wavAlarms, there was no way to interrupt the alarm once it started playing (very annoying). Also, if I used it for Date Book alarms, even if I clicked OK (after waiting for the alarm to finish), I would still get a second reminder (this time with the MIDI alarm) after 5 minutes.

Have these issues been fixed yet?

RE: Is it still buggy?

Toysoft @ 11/25/2003 3:36:08 PM #

if you use PocketTunes then you can stop the sound while it's playing. if you don't have pocketTunes then the wave file will play until its finished.

generally if you have a long mp3 song and your reminder alarm set to 1 minute or so and when the reminder alarm is triggered and it will cause the reminder sound file to be played. you can set two different sound file for each alarm. one for the alarm and the 2nd for reminder. Not all apps support the reminder notification.

RE: Is it still buggy?

Toysoft @ 11/25/2003 3:43:20 PM #

Oh, to suppress the datebook alarm you need to goto datebook alarm setting and select the "Silent" alarm. You can set the Silent alarm for all apps that uses wavAlarm.

RE: Is it still buggy?

Wuju @ 11/25/2003 5:43:09 PM #

I've set up wavAlarm to play MP3 in World Clock but when the alarm goes off. It plays MP3 via Pockettune but I also hear the Alarm Sound. I went into World Clock Alarm Preference and there is no Sound setting for Silence but only various sound. Volumn is either Low, Medium or High.

RE: Is it still buggy?

Wuju @ 11/25/2003 5:48:21 PM #

I've meant when the Alarm goes on from the above comment.

RE: how 'bout my Treo600?

nrosser @ 11/25/2003 6:14:03 PM #

A quick download and test run on my 600 crashed it. Since the 600 wasn't on the list of supported devices, I take that all to mean that I can't use this on my 600, even though I use PT to its max all the time. Love PT.
Clue me in, toysofties....