Selecting one of the categories listed below will automatically take you to the support area for that particular topic:

The application itself is a single screen, appearing when you first turn on your Pilot, with an additional three screens for display, security and battery configuration, accessed from the Check-In icon within the application launcher.

The Password-Entry Screen

In the top left corner is the day or week of the year, depending upon which you have set in the Check-In 'Display' configuration screen.

In the top right corner is the month of the year, determined by the Date setting in System Preferences.

The format of the large time display is determined by the Time Format settings in System Preferences, which can be set to 12 or 24 hour modes.

The battery meter shows a graph, and a numeric display of the current battery voltage. The graph is a fixed scale from 2.00 volts to 3.00 volts.

Your own contact details are also shown on the password entry screen - helpful if your Pilot is ever lost, and found. Your contact (or 'owner') information is configured by selecting the 'Display' button option within Check-In and is centered by default.

Passwords can be set to display in plain text, or masked with one of two settings, configured within the Check-In 'Display' configuration screen. With the '**a' mask, all characters in the password are displayed as asterisks, except for the last character entered, making it easier to ensure that your graffiti characters are recognised correctly. With the mask set to '***', all password characters are displayed as asterisks. The password mask is only active in the password-entry field, and NOT in the popup-keyboard fields. Having entered your password, either a / stroke or selecting "Done" will allow you access to your Pilot.

Depending upon settings in the Check-In 'Security' configuration screen, the bar in the bottom right corner will highlight whether private records will be hidden or shown upon entry to your Pilot. Tapping on the other option (in this case "Show") will overwrite the selected one, and may require you to enter a password, depending on settings in the 'Security' configuration screen.

Display

This configuration screen enables you to define some of the options which will appear on the 'Password-Entry' screen when your Pilot is switched on.

The Message field enables you to enter contact details or other information which will be displayed every time the Pilot is switched on. This field is limited to four lines and is centered automatically.

For added security, your password may be masked with asterisks, with each character, or every previous-entered character, appearing as an asterisk (the '***' and '**a' options respectively).

The current day or week of the year will be shown on the main screen, depending on the setting of the Date field.

Any changes made to these options can be saved and will be activated the next time your Pilot is switched on - selecting the "Undo" button will display the last saved configuration.

Security

This configuration screen enables you to define the criteria for locking and gaining access to your Pilot and whether private records will be shown or hidden upon entering your Pilot.

The After field determines when Check-In should lock the Pilot. The value can be set to Always, Never, or after a certain time since the Pilot last powered off. In the example above, for instance, the Pilot will automatically lock 3 minutes after the Pilot powered off (either by timing out or by pressing the green power button), allowing the user a 3-minute "grace period" to access his Pilot without needing to enter a password.

Private records will either be hidden or shown upon accessing the Pilot, depending on the Default Mode setting. Alternatively, as this function can be overwritten by tapping on the bar on the "Password-Entry" screen, a "Previous Setting" mode can be selected, defaulting to the last mode you accessed your Pilot in.

The Password Reqd field enables you to define when a password is required to access the Pilot. If this field is set to "Never", Check-In will still be displayed when switching on your Pilot, but you will not be required to enter a password, although private records may be hidden (depending on the "Default Mode" setting above). If a password is not required, tapping the "Done" button, using any of the 'hard' application keys, entering a "carriage return" stroke or tapping anywhere on the screen will enable you to access your Pilot.

The application which runs immediately after accessing your Pilot can be configured to be any of those currently installed on your Pilot, using the pop-up list in the Switch To: field.

As for the 'Display' configuration screen, any changes made to the security options can be saved and will be activated the next time your Pilot is switched on - selecting the "Undo" button will display the last saved configuration.

Battery

This screen provides information about Pilot usage and enables you to gauge how different batteries perform with your Pilot.

The Total Time On: field indicates the up-time of the Pilot (ie. time spent in use) since the "Reset Counter" was last tapped, in hours:minutes:seconds format.

The Since: field shows the date that the "Reset Counter" was last tapped.

Selecting the "Reset Counter" button will revert the "Total Time On:" field to 0:0:0 and the "Since:" field to the current time and date. Exiting this screen, with any modifications automatically saved, can be achieved by pressing the "Done" button.

Menu Options

The Security option provides a full set of security configuration controls, and allows you to hide or show private records, determine when you Pilot should be locked, and whether a password is required to unlock it. 

The Display option allows you to set your contact details, as displayed on the password-entry screen, set the default password mask, and specify whether the day or week of the year is shown.

The Battery option provides information on battery usage.

The above three options can also be accessed using a grafitti command stroke and the relevant letter eg. S 

The Lock Pilot option locks, and turns off your Pilot, regardless of any security configuration. The same effect can be achieved by double-tapping (..) anywhere on the screen whilst within Check-In. 

Check-In is security application for the 3Com Palm Computing® Platform. 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 settings can be anything 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. 

Which versions of PalmOS does Check-In run on ? 

Check-In operates identically on all versions of the Pilot. It has been tested on versions 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0 of the OS running on the appropriate Pilot hardware, but has NOT been tested on Pilots upgraded with replacement memory cards (eg Pilot 512K with PalmPilot 1Mb upgrade card, PalmPilot with SuperPilot upgrade). 

What about compatibility with other applications ? 

Check-In has been tested with an array of other applications and Hackmaster extensions, without incident. However, Check-In replaces the functionality provided by certain other applications, and has not been designed, or tested, to operate alongside these applcations. Notably, Check-In should not be run alongside 

• TealLock
• HideHack
• Hide and Off
• Commander
• Commander Lite

BEFORE DOING ANYTHING, ensure that your Pilot system password is either unassigned, or that you know what it is set to. A Pilot that has been locked by Check-In is secure, and unless you know the password, there is no way to gain access to the machine without performing a hard-reset. 

The application itself should be installed using whatever method you normally use to install applications on your Pilot. Usually, this means running the 'Application Install' application from your PC. Both Check-In and PowerHack will need to be installed from the .zip file (chkin.prc and phack.prc files), as well as the latest copy of HackMaster (available at http://www.daggerware.com/) 

Note: Hackmaster is non-expiring shareware, and can be registered at PalmGear HQ for US$5.00. 

To get Check-In to do anything useful, PowerHack must be activated. From the 'Hackmaster' application, simply check the 'PowerHack' checkbox. Check-In will now be fully activated and can be configured using the screens as detailed above. 

Something went wrong - what now ? 

If Check-In ceases to function correctly, the first step is to de-activate PowerHack on your Pilot (un-check the PowerHack checkbox in 'Hackmaster') and perform a soft reset. This often cures a multitude of ills. If problems still occur, you may wish to un-install, and then re-install both Check-In and PowerHack. To report bugs in Check-In, please send an email to check-in@palmation.com . 

How do I Un-install Check-In ? 

In order to delete Check-In from your Pilot, PowerHack must first be de-activated. The simplest way to do this is via the 'Hackmaster' application, by unchecking the PowerHack checkbox. Both Check-In and PowerHack can now be removed from the system by running the Memory application. 

I'm locked out of my Pilot - what do I do ? 

There are two reasons why you may be locked out. Firstly, the password you are entering is incorrect, or you have forgotten what it is. Secondly, Check-In may not be reading your password correctly. 

To eliminate the possibility of a bug in Check-In, you should soft-reset your Pilot, where you will be greeted by the Pilot's built-in security application, demanding a password. If your password is still not recognised, then the password you are entering is incorrect, and is not the same as the one that has been set. 

How secure is Check-In ? 

Check-In is designed to secure your Pilot's data. Unless you know the correct password, there is no way to gain access to the machine without performing a hard-reset (which will erase all the data stored therein). Some other security applications can be broken into by holding down the 'scroll-up' button whilst resetting the Pilot. Check-In is truly secure, and cannot be broken into by this, or any other known method. If you do not know the correct password, your only option is to hard-reset your Pilot, and then restore your data by performing a HotSync.

Can I upgrade from Check-In to Commander ?

Yes. As a registered user of Check-In, you are automatically registered for Commander Lite at no extra charge. Additionally, you are also entitled to upgrade to the full Commander application, which includes launcher functionality as well as Pilot security, for only $6.95 (a saving of $8.00!).  To obtain information about upgrading, please send a note to upgrade@palmation.com.

• Changed Clearer fonts the time display on the password entry form in Check-In
• Fixed The battery meter on the password entry form displays incorrectly when running PalmOS3.3

• Changed Check-In is now a product of Palmation Limited

• 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

• 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.

• Fixed Bug that caused a Fatal Exception when powered on in Hide mode
• Added Support for hh,mm time format on PalmPilot

• 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)

• 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 password. The scroll-down hard key also performs the same function
• Added Lock Pilot menu item, that can also be accessed by simply entering a graffiti ".." (double-tap) on the Check-In main screen
• Changed The Cancel buttons to Undo
• Changed Tidied up some of the dead controls

• Changed Altered the expiry date to 1st May. After expiry, Check-In now works perfectly apart from an initial expiry reminder screen

• 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

• Added Display panel, allowing user-customisation of the message displayed 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 pop-up
• Fixed 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

• 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 Pop-up 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 'infinite loop' when running Check-In/PowerHack for the first time, requiring a soft reset

• Initial release

The following enhancements, or fixes, are currently under consideration for immediate development, or are already being worked on.

Support for Handspring Visor OS

Check-In does not yet include support for the Handspring Visor OS, although this is planned for the next release (no date yet scheduled).

Week-of-the-year is inaccurate

The week-of-the-year value displayed on the Password/Welcome screen differs from the value shown by the built-in DateBook by one week.