MaxCoderz

The web is the most dynamic and powerful computer technology available to date. Why haven't we started merging the web and calculators?
What I'm imagining right now is a seamless system in which your calculator becomes a way to view data on the move, keeping it updated every time you plug it into the computer. You guys have iPods, right? This concept would be similar. You plug your calculator into your computer, automatically opening some software designed to retrieve data from the web and update your calculator. When I use my iPod, I love having several podcasts that are refreshed on a daily basis. This system could have a similar podcast format, since audio support is somewhat flaky, and RSS would be an ideal way to harvest data. Imagine, you could view the latest slashdot news on your way to school using a viewer designed to work with the software.

With newer calculators coming with usb, how possible would it be to hook a router or another connection to the internet to it? I recall seeing some asm routine that did something like that. If we could get something like that to work, it would open up a whole new dimension to calculators as we know them.

Any other ideas having to do with integrating calculators with the internet?

What data would you retrieve when you 'snyc'? JUst podcasts?

Perhaps it could connect to a ticalc.org service and you could opt to download any new files that are released?

I know this is probably calculator lunacy, but I figured I'd throw it out there anyway...

I've actually tossed around the idea of a Calc MMORPG. It would have to have something like this... a way to connect to the web and a program on your computer to update your calc with the game database. It would have to be some kind of super-turn based system that would still be fun even if updated only once every day or less. Maybe some kind of army management game where attacks happen every night at a certain time? Who knows. Like I said, it's probably a crazy idea... but I guess that's what this forum is for .

Kerm was working on something similar (GCN?) Idk, check the announce section..

Yes and no. Kerm wanted (or wants?) to link calculators together in networks, and link those networks to a computer to link them to other networks. He also intended to use that as a live connection to play games over.

This idea involves a lot less z80 programming, since you don't need the calc networks, and you don't need as much magic to get the speed up. Having a good Windows application to link to your calc and pull some RSS feeds from the Internet and put them on your calc using silent transfer is very much possible.

How about simply an RSS aggregator for calcs?

That's pretty much the idea, only it would automatically update any sort of data you like. Maybe the main program could allow for basic scripting access, making it possible for the user to customize the data and do fancy things.
This is going to be cool!

i have created something similar.
http://www.unitedti.org/index.php?showtopic=4834

Yes, but can you connect to the internet from it?

i have created something similar.

No, you haven't. What you have created is a glorified TI-BASIC line displayer. That's it. You clearly have no idea what we're talking about, or what you are for that matter

didnt read the whole thing
whoops..
:P
only read part about linking and downloading to the calc.

Well I *think* yours could turn out nicely, but I'd drop the list + lines idea. Wouldn't it be possible to write a program on the COMP that would mimic another calc as if two calcs were linked together? Then, you could use BASIC to communicate with the Comp and the comp could transfer website *text* (say... RSS? ) to the BASIC Program?

Yes, you could do that. Or you could save yourself the trouble of implementing the GetCalc support on the PC and write a proper asm program to communicate with the PC

His program is TI-BASIC however.

So, the silver link doesn't do any wierd stuff that would alert the calc it's talking to a computer?

I think the PC does the weird stuff, not the link cable. I'm not 100% sure about that though, since I don't have a silver link but a parallel home made link.