Check-In is a security application for the 3Com Pilot or PalmPilot. When combined with PowerHack, it can automatically secure the pilot, password-protecting your data, and providing contact details to aid a safe return should the machine get lost.
As well as displaying the current time, date, and contact information, Check-In provides several configurable options, including one to set a 'grace period', after which the pilot is secured, an option to display entered passwords in either plain text, or as asterisks, and an option to switch to a user-defined application every time the pilot is turned on.
Check-In's security options range from displaying a simple 'Welcome' screen, to fully locking the pilot every time it is powered off, providing the flexibility to suit your individual needs.
Download Check-In and install it on your Pilot with the Pilot Install Tool or whatever you normally use to install Pilot applications.
Install PowerHack (provided with Check-In) in the same way. PowerHack is a system extension, and requires HackMaster
These features are either planned, or have been suggested and are being considered. Some requests may not make it here - either I've decided not to do them, or I am still working out whether it is possible to implement them. Please don't email me with requests for features already listed here - although feedback, encouragement, etc, is always welcome !
- Alternate password entry method. Several ideas, such as pop-up keypads, using the hard buttons. Mail me on this if you think you have an original idea.
- Better usage statistics.
- Invalid login attempt indicator.
- Integration with the PalmPilot Owner preference - ie a much longer message on the Check-In password screen, with scroll bar/buttons.
- Deadlocking. The idea here is that you may want to have Check-In only require a password to Show secret records most of the time. However, if the device has been tunred off for a longer period, you may want to require a password whatever (the device deadlocks after a configurable interval). The double-tap to lock feature will also be configurable to either lock the device normally (ie adhere to the ussual Check-In configuration), or to deadlock.
- Graphical logo in place, or as well as the 'IF FOUND' message.
- The power button sometimes operates twice when pressed - the Pilot will turn off, and immediately on, or on and immediately off. After extensive testing, this appears to be a problem with TealGlance, and occurs even when PowerHack and Check-In have been deleted from the system, and the Pilot reset.
- The LaunchPad 'lock pilot' option switches to the built-in security application, and not to Check-In. This is a problem with LaunchPad that is easily resolved.
- The Battery timer is extremely innacurate, sometimes ignoring the fact that the Pilot has been turned off at all. This is due to a bug in the Motorola DragonBall mask revision being used in the current batch of Pilots. Motorola has fixed the problem, but I still plan a workaround, since it is not clear if USR will be using the newest revision, and if so, when.
- When entering a password to unlock Check-In, editing the password (specifically, inserting characters) does not work as expected.
Check-In 1.0Check-In 0.9
- Added Support for '***', or '**a' password entry.
- Added Selectable 'week-of-year' or 'Day-of-year' display
- Added Support for 'Switch-to' App selection, to automatically switch to a chosen application after entering a password.
- Fixed Turning on the pilot by pressing the hotsync button sometimes resulted in the pilot immediately powering-off again.
- Fixed Alarms sometimes did not sound at the expected time, or at all.
- Fixed Applications using alarms to update information (eg ReDo, Birthdate, BugMe) did not always work correctly.
- Fixed The day-of-year or week-of-year does not display correctly past day 255.
Check-In 0.81
- Added Battery voltage display on the main screen
- Added Support for the hh,mm time format.
- Changed If no system password is set, Check-In never requires one to be entered.
- Added When no password is required, tapping anywhere on the screen above the control acts as an OK button.
- Fixed The registered version no longer has a register menu option.
Check-In 0.8
- Fixed Bug that caused a Fatal Exception when powered on in Hide mode
- Added Support for hh,mm time format on PalmPilot
Check-In 0.7
- Added Check-In is now shareware
- Added Menu Items for the configuration forms are now enabled
- Fixed Maximum password length is now 32 characters (PalmOS standard).
Check-In 0.61
- Added Support for the new PalmPilots (OS 2.x)
- Changed Altered the expiry system. Apologies for this being such a pain in previous versions (and for being so slow with updates !). Check-In now expires 45 days after installation. Details of how to register a non-expiring version will be available shortly.
- Added The Battery form is now active, showing the total time that the pilot has been switched on for, since a particular date. The counter can be reset. Note: that the counter is currently very innaccurate - and is being worked on.
- Added A return now has the same effect as pressing the Done button after entering a passwd. The scroll-down hard key also performs the same function.
- Added Added a Lock Pilot menu item, that can also be accessed by simply entering a graffiti "." (double-tap) on the Check-In main form.
- Changed The Cancel buttons to Undo
- Changed Tidied up some of the dead controls.
Check-In 0.6
- Changed Altered the expiry date to 1st May. After expiry, Check-In now works perfectly apart from an initial expiry reminder screen.
Check-In 0.5
- Changed The way that the previous app is calculated is now more intuitive. Thanks to Howie Hirsch for testing/feedback on this.
- Changed If the device is locked at Power-Off (for example, you lock the device with PAL), Check-In 'deadlocks' - It overrides any security settings, and requires password entry.
- Added The main configuration form now shows Date, Time, and the 'If found' message.
- Added The Battery meter now works. Its is currently hardcoded to a range of 2.00 - 3.00 volts.
- Fixed Problems with long message lines getting corrupted.
Check-In 0.4
- Added Display panel, allowing user-customisation of the message displyed on the password entry/startup screen.
- Added Support for PalmOS update 1.0.4. Turning the pilot on with the application buttons now works (roughly) as expected.
- Added Temporary fix for the security hole in v0.4. Attempting to access Check-In configuration options in 'Hide Secret records' mode fails, accompanied by an 'access-denied' message popup.
- Fixed Sort of. The PAL locking issues are now resolved. Turns out there was a bad copy of PAL floating around that didn't lock the device properly.
Check-In 0.3
- Added Front panel. Only the 'Security' button is activated.
- Added Configuration panel, with Timeout, Default Mode, and Password Required options. Other options are still dead, including the message
- Added AM/PM time display - format reflects the SysPrefs format.
- Added 'popup' of the password field, depending on the security options.
- Added Upper case conversion is now performed - uppercase passwords work
- Fixed The time display now updates correctly, always showing the current time. The date is also erased before redraw correctly.
- Fixed Null passwords are now handled correctly
- Fixed Installation problem that could cause an 'infinte loop' when running Check-In/PowerHack for the first time, requiring a soft reset.
- Initial release