Review: OzBTWF

09-13-06, 09:43 PM

So, earlier I was looking for an app that would turn Bluetooth and/or WiFi on when a program was started. After posting I was told to try OzBT (http://oz.sciox.org/ozbt.html), so I did. Here's my review of the product, rating it out of 5 points.

Installation
After downloading OzBTWF.zip I opened the file and was presented with an .exe, so I clicked and it gave me an error about it not being a win32 file. Being the ever cautious computer user, I downloaded it again, in case it was a bad download. No such luck.

I finally tried moving it to my Ax and running it there, which, after looking at the website, I find is printed at the bottom of the page where most users won't look if they have just downloaded an app. Once I had it installed, though, it worked fine.

Rating: 4

Ease of Use
I installed it, clicked on the little icon (which is very snazzy looking), and I'm given the choice to go to Settings, Read the About, or Exit.

Settings: The settings screen is very cryptic and even after looking at it and reading the sparse "how-to" on the OzBT page, I don't think I can quite tell someone what's going on.

Turn on: This is what tells the program to turn on BT/Wifi. You type the headers of the programs (seperated by ;s ) into the "If Window is Running" (turns it on if the app is active, but turns it off when it isn't active anymore) or "If Window is Running" (turns it on as long as the app is running) box. Or you can use the Find Window button at the bottom of the screen to choose an active window.

To make sure each program turns on the correct wireless function, put either a #w or a #b in front of the program header. #w turns on WiFi and #b turns on Bluetooth. (Big thanks to randomwalk101 for this information!)

Turn off: This is what tells the program to turn OFF BT/WiFi. Do the same as above but for programs that will turn off BT/Wifi when they start.

Default BT/WiFi: This is what the program will do when a program is opened and it isn't listed in any of the above lists.

Control isn't listed on the webpage, but it just lets you choose which function ozBTWF will control.

Window Found: I also think this popup can be a bit cryptic if you don't know what ON and OFF mean.

ON: This will add the program to either the Active or Running programs to turn BT/WiFi on with. Unfortunately it will not add the program to both, you have to do it twice.

OFF: This will turn BT/WiFi off when this app is active. The "Override 'On' List" check box allows you to override programs that keep BT/WiFi active while Running, not necessarily Active.

The overall Ease of Use is pretty simple, although cryptic. I found the easiest way to choose programs was to just use the Find Window button and open the app then press the Application Launcher Button 1, which chooses the program.

Rating: 3

Overall Use
I set OzBTWF to start my WiFi when I started PIE, which it happily did. Of course, I don't get a connection right away, but after a few seconds I get it and it stays with no problems.

Rating: 5

Overall, I give this program a 4/5.
The Settings page is very congested and overcomplicated, it could have been simplified with tabs. The program does work, though, and it seems to work well for a "project".

I hope this helps everyone out.

dgoldring · 09-13-06, 09:57 PM

Great review, Fireshaper. I agree with everything you said. I probably would have given it a 3.5/5 only because the interface is very confusing. I am still not sure what most of the options are supposed to do. A graphical interface where you could just select the program you want and click wifi or BT buttons would be much more user friendly.

That being said, it definately works as advertised. I was able to set it up to turn on wifi with my internet. Now, I have to figure out how to do multiple settings at the same time so I can turn on BT when I turn on TCPMP. I'll keep you posted. :)

Doug

09-13-06, 10:04 PM

Yeah, that was the one thing I couldn't figure out, how to turn on either of the two and not just one.

09-14-06, 12:37 AM

Nice app indeed!

dgoldring · 09-14-06, 08:22 AM

I played with this some more last night. I really like the window find feature, where you can open any program and push a button for Oz to link up with it. The only things that stand between this being a good utility and an absolute essential are:

1. The user face needs a serious "facelift" to make it more intuitive.
2. It needs to be able to control either WIFI or BT interchangeably.

Also, I noticed that it will not work unless you first start Oz (sort of a no-brainer) I added Oz to my startup routine and this worked great for me.

Doug

Pocketbrain · 09-14-06, 12:24 PM

Yeah, ideally, it would allow you to automatically start BT or WiFi or both, depending upon the application. For example:

Mapopolis (or another navigation program) would start BT so you could connect to your BT GPS receiver.
AIM and PIE would start WiFi.
WiFiFoFum would start both BT and WiFi, since it is used to "map" WiFi locations.

.

09-14-06, 03:55 PM

Ideally, PB. I e-mailed the creator with a link to the review and also with our concerns. Maybe he will get back to me. :)

[AX]

dgoldring · 09-14-06, 06:58 PM

I am finding this program to be increasingly frustrating. It keeps overriding my WIFI and BT, so if Oz is running then I cannot run WIFI or BT outside of what the Oz settings are.

Doug

russpickford · 09-14-06, 07:15 PM

I think SKSchema from SKTools can start BT or WiFi with a particular app, and even turn it off when it exits. You can download and try for 14 days, I am trialing it now. Looks like it could be very useful, but at the moment I am mostly confused......

dgoldring · 09-14-06, 09:26 PM

I may have to download Schema and give it a try. This OzBT is very frustrating to me. It is a udeful app that I wanted very much to like. It has a ton of potential, but the user interface is so confusing that it is almost impossible to control. If someone gave this a serious makeover and some useful controls, this could be a must-have app.

It is really kind of a shame. :(
Doug

randomwalk101 · 09-17-06, 02:44 PM

Originally Posted by russpickford

I think SKSchema from SKTools can start BT or WiFi with a particular app, and even turn it off when it exits. You can download and try for 14 days, I am trialing it now. Looks like it could be very useful, but at the moment I am mostly confused......

can you give me some instruction on how to configure iGO (a navigation system) to turn on BT and Opera to turn on WiFi through SKSchema? I couldn't figure it out :(

randomwalk101 · 09-17-06, 03:08 PM

I finally figured out how to control BT or WiFi for certain program with ozBTWF..

What you do is put a "#w" or "#b" in front of the program name and this will do it... the "#w" is for turning on WiFI required programs and #b is for BT..that's it.

09-17-06, 05:48 PM

Works! Thanks, randomwalk! Now if the creator would only implement this a little better.

russpickford · 09-17-06, 07:10 PM

Hopefully someone with a little more of a clue can answer this better for SKSchema :-D You can configure it to 'watch' applications opening, closing, whatever. When the 'watched' event happens you can configure it to trigger an action. So it is simple to say 'watch' for 'opera' and trigger 'bluetooth' or 'wifi' or 'connect to internet'.
This is one of those apps where I'm thinking, if only I can figure it out...... for example should be able to script automatic avantgo sync before I wake up in the morning and other useful things.

cravaus · 09-17-06, 07:32 PM

SKSchema is the thing. It can do so much more than this. I had not thought of turning on the wireless but I will and get back.