Software Debate Timers

[Magic School Bus 107]

I just tried to download the timer onto my windows mobile phone, all of the .cab files bring an error that says they are not intended for the device. I tried the .cab files for all of the processors and each of the comes with this message.

[Clark Kent 161]

Wish list without looking at the source, i'm not sure how you're making your GUI:

 

 

 

Allow custom alarm sound or at least more options as "ONE MINUTE LEFT" is a little much and a beep isn't enough for some people.

 

Allow custom amount time left until alarm/quickly change speech/prep times. It can't be that hard to implement a text field labeled "minutes" and one labeled "seconds," apply a method to parse to an int with a quick error handling method just in case the user thinks "twelve" is a number. and use that number.

 

		try {
		int minutes = Integer.parseInt(c.readLine());
	} catch (NumberFormatException e) {
		typoError();

Where c.readLine() is whatever method that returns the string of the number you want and typoError() is your error handler and you can use minutes as your minute number later.

 

 

Fresher look (yeah i know, UIs are a freaking pain, but maybe a large green/red start/stop button. There's a lot of unused whitespace)

[jemmyc 76]

Since time signals always count down for speeches and CX, I will have it drop "Left", so it will say something like "One Minute." Since time signals for prep currently can count up or down, those will still be verbose. That may change also if people think prep time should always count down as well. I'm keeping the beep, because I know people who are still using Palm PDAs that are only capable of beeps.

 

Currently, the time limit can be set in minute increments using the +/- buttons on the side. Resetting the timer will set it back to the time limit, but not necessarily the time remaining. If I add another GUI control for setting the time remaining, how can the difference in semantics of these two ways of setting the time be made obvious to the user?

 

Some of that unused whitespace is reserved for the extra buttons that show up in the Neg block. But, the color coded start/stop buttons sound like a good idea.

 

I just tried to download the timer onto my windows mobile phone, all of the .cab files bring an error that says they are not intended for the device. I tried the .cab files for all of the processors and each of the comes with this message.

Does your Windows Mobile phone have a touch screen? There are different editions Windows Mobile for non-phone PDAs, phones with touch screens, and phones without touch screens. I know the timer works on PDAs and phones with touch screens, but I am not sure if it works on phones without touch screens.

[Magic School Bus 107]

Does your Windows Mobile phone have a touch screen? There are different editions Windows Mobile for non-phone PDAs, phones with touch screens, and phones without touch screens. I know the timer works on PDAs and phones with touch screens, but I am not sure if it works on phones without touch screens.

 

Must be the answer. Are there any solutions to the problem?

[jemmyc 76]

The latest SuperWaba can generate additional .CABs for Windows Mobile 5 and 6 that also work on smartphones without touch screens. I will put them in the upcoming release of the timer.

[nolongerused 52]

Also important, and I'm not sure if this is in the program already and I missed it, or what; but having an option to always keep the timer on top of other windows would be very useful, for when you're flowing in Excel.

[Magic School Bus 107]

The latest SuperWaba can generate additional .CABs for Windows Mobile 5 and 6 that also work on smartphones without touch screens. I will put them in the upcoming release of the timer.

 

Thanks!

[jemmyc 76]

Also important, and I'm not sure if this is in the program already and I missed it, or what; but having an option to always keep the timer on top of other windows would be very useful, for when you're flowing in Excel.

The timer will be always on top in the upcoming release. I had to hack SuperWaba in order to do it (gotta love open source). However, it will not be possible right now to make it optional. It can still be minimized, which I don't see as being any different from another program on top hiding it. Will this be a problem for anyone?

[jemmyc 76]

The new version is out. It has an updated user interface, always on top window, and less verbose spoken time signals during speeches. I also added the NFA LD format. This version should work on Windows Mobile Standard smartphones without touch screens. Get the latest and greatest in debate timing technology at http://debate-ie-timer.sourceforge.net/.

[Magic School Bus 107]

Just got the timer downloaded. Works great! Thanks a bunch for the update.

 

Edit: Downloaded onto WM6 non touch screen.

[liposuctionguide 10]

Hello all...

You will find lots of software on internet which are helpful to debater in their competition so if you use them your chances to win the debate competition will get increase...

[jemmyc 76]

The new version has a more natural (less robotic) voice for time signals. There is also a menu item for setting the prep time for both sides at once. The high school parliamentary debate selection now conforms to the California High School Speech Association rules where points of information are allowed in rebuttals.

 

The Palm Z22 version has been fixed.

[nolongerused 52]

The new version has a more natural (less robotic) voice for time signals. There is also a menu item for setting the prep time for both sides at once. The high school parliamentary debate selection now conforms to the California High School Speech Association rules where points of information are allowed in rebuttals.

 

The Palm Z22 version has been fixed.

 

Thanks for the work you're doing on this!