Cyberhorse Workshop

Bellman

Version 4.1.1
2012-02-03

Overview:

Bellman act as a time announcer on your Android phone. It helps you keep time with your ears but not eyes. you can shake your phone at any time to get time in voice report; It also chime hourly, half-hourly or quarterly for you; and unlimited alarms with various music ringtone and speaking time voice have you to be prompted at any specified time. You can select any music file saved in SD card by your own to serve as ringtone or chime music.

Begin from version 3.0, the voice system is opened to users to customize themselves own voice style. So, in addition to built-in supported languages such as Czech, German, English, Spanish, French, Italian, Russian and Chinese, the app supports any other languages via customizing.

Features:

1. During screen turning off, shake the phone along with horizontal to speak time in voice.
            
    

   Note:

   • The detect shaking service may consume more power. 

   • For some devices, especially equip with Android OS version 2.01 and 2.1, the detect shaking service may not work in standby or screen off status because acceleration sensor is disabled in that status. 
     
     
     
     
     
      

2. Chimes hourly, half-hourly or quarterly with options of voice, bell, prelude as well as volume.
       

3. Alarm clock features with unlimited alarms, countdown starting, music ringtone, speaking time voice, various repeat cycle included custom-built in any seconds, minutes, hours and days.
   

4. Available voice languages: Chinese, Czech, English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Russian.
             

5. Both alarm ringtone and chime music may be selected from any music file (such as mp3, wav, mid, ogg, m4a and so on) saved on SD card.
   

6. Since version 3.0, the voice of speaking time has been opened to users to customize it by themselves. So, in addition to built-in supported languages such as Czech, German, English, Spanish, French, Italian, Russian and Chinese, the app supports any other languages via customizing. How to customize your own voice style? Please see here.
   

Version history

2012.02.03  version 4.1.1

• Fixed a bug of sound list in Select Prelude dialog.

2012.01.27  version 4.1.0

• Improved:
  1. The sound list is in alphabetical order sequence.
  2. The minute value of time span for Chime/Shake settings is available.
  3. A customized repeat type of alarm works correctly now.
  4. An alarm specified loop times, but not time length, could be set to show/hide information screen.
  5. Add a test sound when changing volume setting.
  6. Add an option to select to mute in silent mode for Chime/Alarm volume settings.
  7. The task name of Chime/Shake can be edited.

2012.01.04  version 4.0.3

• Fixed:
  A little bug introduced from version 4.0.2.

2012.01.03  version 4.0.2

• Improved:
  The method of searching customized voice format files on SD card is improved as same as sounds files on SD card to avoid an error of stopping response which happened in some type phones.

2011.11.28  version 4.0.1

• New:
  In order to meet the needs of different time spans, especially for saving power consuming, both Shake To Speak Time and Chime are changed into the form of multi-task scheduling.
• Improved:
  The method of searching sound files on SD card is improved to avoid an error of stopping response which happened in some type phones.
• Fixed:
  A wrong of weekly alarm is fixed.

2011.10.07  version 3.2.4

• Fixed:
  The wrong of Alarm tab icon is replaced.

2011.09.03  version 3.2.2

• Fixed:
  Some bugs of interface in version 3.2.1 are removed.

2011.08.29  version 3.2.1

• Fixed:
  A bug is removed which had been existed since version 1.9.7. The bug was constantly waking up the device (without screen on) under status of disabled Shake function. Now, the app keeps device waking up (without screen on) only when Shake to speak time is enabled.

2011.08.28  version 3.2.0

• Improved:
  The interface screen is changed to Tabs.

2011.08.24  version 3.1.0

• New:
  Added a "Vibrate" option into Chime settings.
• Improved:
  There is a new text view to display current volume percentage dynamically in the Volume settings dialog.

2011.08.15  version 3.0.1

• Fixed:
  1. A bug in version 3.0.0 that a prelude selected from SD card can not be played with built-in voice format.
  2. Restored 12 hour format speaking time under "Use 12-hore format" is checked.
• New:

  Added a "silent" option into "Select prelude" list dialog to disable a prelude of the chime or a ringtone of an alarm. So,

• Changed:

  Ringtone checkbox in Alarm settings is removed. To disable ringtone, please select "Silent" ringtone.

2011.08.09  version 3.0.0

• New:

  Begin from version 3.0, the voice system is opened to users to customize themselves own voice style. So, in addition to built-in supported languages such as Czech, German, English, Spanish, French, Italian, Russian and Chinese, the app supports any other languages via customizing.

2011.08.01  version 2.4.4

• New:

  A new option "Speaking time with AM/PM" is added in Common options screen. It is only for English language.
   

• Changed:

  The option "Speaking time in 12 hours" in Common options screen is added again in order to select 12/24 format independent from system settings.

2011.07.29  version 2.4.3

• New:

  Voices "AM" and "PM" for twelve hour format in English.
   

• Changed:
  1. The interface to selecting a date & time in alarm settings is changed.
  2. "O'clock" is restored in English chime.

2011.07.21  version 2.4.2

• Changed:
  1.  "Click here to speak time!" button is removed.
  2. The interface to selecting a sound is changed.
  3. "O'clock" is removed from English chime.
• Fixed a bug:
  1. A bug of that the prelude for chime at hour can not be set correctly in version 2.4.0 is removed.
  2. A bug of the interface of alarm settings is removed.

2011.07.15  version 2.4.0

• New features:
  1. For chime function, "Voice/Bell" checkbox is altered by a list option named "Time expressions" to choose None, Voice or Bell (striking).
  2. For alarm function, a new option named "Loop mode" is added to set an alarm to loop once, twice, ..., ten times (max times), or one minute, two minutes, ..., twenty minutes (max minutes).
• Improved:
  Upgraded Admob SDK to last version, and changed show/hide AD mechanism, so that power consumption is improved.
• Fixed: Removed some bugs.

2011.07.04  version 2.3.2

• Fixed:
  1. A bug of "Snooze duration" in Alarm settings.
  2. A bug of "Select prelude" on SD card.
• Improved:
  1. A prelude from SD card long time music no longer overlay speaking time voice.
  2. The interface about Snooze duration settings have been translated into the languages.

2011.06.27  version 2.3.1

• Enhance:
  1. Every prelude, presenting 0', 15', 30' and 45', can be assigned a different music for each other. (see here)
  2. A new option, checkbox "System's ringtone volume", is added in the volume control of Chime settings and Alarm settings, to may be related to phone's profile.

2011.04.24  version 2.2.4

• improvement: When screen orientation is changed, Activities is no longer reloaded, so all dialogs based on them is no longer disappeared, and other problems introduced by that case is avoided.

2011.04.17  version 2.2.3

• improvement:
  1. Corrected some words in Russian translation. Thanks Viltor Vasilyev for helping Russian translation and providing a sound of chimes on Spassky Tower of Moscow Kremlin.
  2. The screen of setting time span for Chime/Shake sensor is scrollable now, so as to fit QVGA (240X320) devices.
  3. Removed some bugs.

2011.04.03  version 2.2.1

• New feature:
  1. Plays sound for selecting prelude/ringtone.
  2. Changes time format (of speaking time voice and displaying interface text) between 12/24 hour depending on system time format.
     Note: the speaking time voice is still no AM/PM voices in 12 hour format. My plan is to open voice system in a future version to user for customizing.
• Fixed words of "Enabled" and "Disabled" in Russian.

2011.03.19  version 2.2.0

• New feature:
  1. Both chime prelude and alarm ringtone can be selected from any music file (such as mp3, wav, mid, ogg, m4a and so on) saved on SD card.
  2. Hide interface automatically after running from system boot, if you selected Autostart option.
  3. Shake sensor would be no longer selectable if there is no accelerometer on device or it is unavailable during screen turn off.
• Improved the reliability of Alarm clock.
• Fixed some bugs on interfaces and Alarm clock function.

2011.03.07  version 2.1.6

• Fixed a stupid bug in version 2.1.5.

2011.03.06  version 2.1.5

• Fixed a bug about setting of chime week days.
• Renewed interface screens.

2011.02.27  version 2.1.4

• Fixed some bugs about alarm clock function, especially on mechanism of how to remove a scheduled alarm.

2011.02.21  version 2.1.3

• Fixed a bug about calculating the time of weekly repeating alarm.

2011.02.20  version 2.1.1

• Fixed a bug about the interface of time settings for customized repeat alarm.

2011.02.18  version 2.1.0

• Renew:
  1. The mechanism of Alarm clock function has been reformed so as to be more perfect, more available.
  2. The method of controlling volumes has been altered so as to be independent from system volume settings.
• New feature:
  The app may be moved to Storage Disk card to spare about 4M storage memory where is occupied by voice media resource.
  NOTE：If the app be moved to SD card, it can not be auto started following with system boot.

2011.02.06  version 2.0.5

• Renew:
  1. Upgraded Admob sdk.
  2. Only activated alarms listed in main screen.

2011.02.03  version 2.0.3

• Fixed:
  1. A bug about weekdays setting in Chime settings of version 2.0.2.
  2. A bug about speaking time voice in Czech.

2011.02.02  version 2.0.2

• Fixed:
  1. Restore the option of speak time 12/24 format, which missed in version 2.0.1.
  2. A bug of Alarm time setting.
  3. A incorrect of title of language setting screen.
  4. Some other bugs. 

2011.01.31  version 2.0.1

• Fixed: A bug from v1.9.7 that shake detect service is disabled after clicking Back button to return screen from Bellman main screen. 
• New features:
  1. Add alarm clock function.
  2. Add many features to Shake Speak Time and Chime.

2010.10.16  version 1.9.7

• Improved: English voice has been modified to be more natural.
• New features:
  1. Time format (12/24 Hours) can be selected.
  2. Shake sensitivity can be adjusted in Shake settings.
  3. To reduce power consuming, shake sensor is only available under closed screen during specified time span.

2010.9.12  version 1.9.6

• Improved: main screen.
• Fixed: English chime voice failed at 21:00, 22:00 and 23:00 in previous version.

2010.9.1  version 1.9.4

• Improved: Shake sensor is steady now.
• Improved: "Test" button behavior.
• Fixed: a bug introduced from version 1.9.1, it is that Chime can not work under flight mode if you do not change chime settings after installing the program.
• Changed: remove a permission

2010.8.26  version 1.9.2

• Improved: Russian voice.

2010.8.23  version 1.9.1

• Improved: default of "Do not chime at flight mode" is unchecked.

2010.8.22  version 1.9

• New: supported languages Czech, German, Italian, Spanish, Russian.
• Improved: renewed interfaces.

2010.8.12  version 1.2.1

• Improved: displays properly on all supported device screens.
• Fixed: a crash, for Android 1.5 devices, from Bellman v1.2, at starting program.

2010.8.11  version 1.2

• New: French interface and voice.
• Updated: the launch icon was changed to.
• Updated: the main layout to fit low solution screen.

2010.8.2  version 1.1

• Improved: Chinese voice waves.