Automatic clock function for time zone changes

[QRichardQ]

Originally Posted by elton

I am frustrated with the clock on the Q. I travel allot and when I change time zones the Q does not change as the regular cell phones do. I have talked to Motorola and they say it does not get clock information as a cell phone does. You have to change it manualy. Now the problem is when you do change it this changes all your meeting times in your calender. What a screw up.

My question is . Is there a program that I can install that would update my clock automaticly when i change time zones and not change the time of my appointments in outlook? I think allot of others are having the same issue.

Wouldn't dialing *228 to do a Verizon "software update," update the clock to local time?

I discovered the hard way what changing time zones does to the calendar. My flights were listed there... I brought this to the attention of some folks at Motorola, who cannot understand what the problem is. I suggested they take a trip and use their Q to carry all their information. They'll understand it then.

[troutseth]

Originally Posted by Pony99CA

.


Stop forgetting to change the time zones? Seriously, that's how Windows Mobile works.

I just needed to vent my frustration by reviving this thread! So I though that the non-update of system time was just one of those Smartphone issues that you have to live with due to the interplay between the phone and outlook. THEN I saw my buddies Blackjack and his phone time updates when he travels AND it correctly converts his Outlook entries to the timezone the phone is in. So, since they are the same OS . . . what is going on Verizon?

[QRichardQ]

Originally Posted by troutseth

THEN I saw my buddies Blackjack and his phone time updates when he travels AND it correctly converts his Outlook entries to the timezone the phone is in. So, since they are the same OS . . . what is going on Verizon?

I'm sorry. I'm not quite understanding. You're saying first, that the Blackjack, running WM5, does update the phone's clock from the carrier's signal? But what do you mean by "correctly converts his outlook entries to the timezone the phone is in"? How can converitng the times, by definition, be correct?

If I am sitting in my office in timezone A programming the schedule for a trip to timezone B, and I expect to have a meeting at 2:00 pm when I get there, I do not want to have to sit there and figure, "OK the meeting will be at 2:00 pm their time. I'm 2 hours earlier, so I need to plug the meeting into my Q at noon, so when the phone changes times, it will convert the meeting to the correct time."

I want to program my phone for a 2:00 meeting for that day. Then I want nothing messing with my calendar. The clock is something else. It needs to the correct time for the place I'm at. Then I'll actually show up at the meeting on time.

How does that dovetail with what you're explaining?

Thanks.

[PNut]

I talked to Verizon about the other day (while waiting for them to answer another question -- irritating incorrect email message indicator).

Their solution was to dial *228 because the Q does receive time from towers, but it doesn't update automatically.

I will let you know tomorrow -- I will be changing time zones in the morning...

My 0.02 -- I have never had to "reprogram" any other phone, just updated automatically...

[troutseth]

Originally Posted by QRichardQ

I'm sorry. I'm not quite understanding. You're saying first, that the Blackjack, running WM5, does update the phone's clock from the carrier's signal? But what do you mean by "correctly converts his outlook entries to the timezone the phone is in"? How can converitng the times, by definition, be correct?

If I am sitting in my office in timezone A programming the schedule for a trip to timezone B, and I expect to have a meeting at 2:00 pm when I get there, I do not want to have to sit there and figure, "OK the meeting will be at 2:00 pm their time. I'm 2 hours earlier, so I need to plug the meeting into my Q at noon, so when the phone changes times, it will convert the meeting to the correct time."

I want to program my phone for a 2:00 meeting for that day. Then I want nothing messing with my calendar. The clock is something else. It needs to the correct time for the place I'm at. Then I'll actually show up at the meeting on time.

How does that dovetail with what you're explaining?

Thanks.

Here is how Outlook works . . .when you enter a meeting you enter it for whatever time you want and it attaches the system timezone. When you receive a meeting request, it will convert the request to your system timezone. So anything on your computer in Outlook shows in your computer's timezone. For example, he had a meeting on his computer for 4 pm Eastern. he travelled to the central timezone today. His phone updated automatically to central timezone and that meeting now shows as 3 pm Central. He does not have to look at his phone and see a 4 PM meeting and do the math himself, the phone did it for him.

You can test that Outlook on your computer does the same thing by switching the timezone and watching your calendar entries shift by an hour. The Q's outlook would do the same thing IF the phone actual updated time.

Per your example you can enter and receive all mtg notices in your home timezone and not have to do the math either before OR after. In your example you are still doing the math at some point.

Again I stress that pocket outlook works the same as your computer in this regard (just that most people do not change their computer timezones). It is the lack of a clock update that is limiting.

[QRichardQ]

I don't want to clog the forum with my stupidity, but the key seems to be a difference in how you and I deal our schedules.

You say, "Per your example you can enter and receive all mtg notices in your home timezone and not have to do the math either before OR after." I receive no "meeting notices." I set my schedule by various means, some written, some verbal, and enter it into my calendar.

Forget electronics for a moment. If my secretary set up an itinerary for me in a city that's in another timezone, and she typed it all out for me to carry with me, all of the times reflected there would be expressed in the local time, of course, so I would appear in the right places at the right times, including at the airport to catch my plane home.

When she sets up the 2:00 pm meeting, for example, neither she nor the other party will give a moment's thought to what time it will happen to be back at my office when that 2:00 pm meeting happens, since I will then be there.

I expect my electronic calendar to do the same thing: type it in exactly that way, and give it back to me the same way. No time translations are required at any point in the process.

So I concluded, forget the bloody timezone setting on the Q. When my plane lands in the other timezone, I'll leave that alone and just reset the clock by the required number of hours (or perhaps dial *228 as we will shortly find out from PNut). Hopefully that will put me onto the correct time without screwing up my schedule. To test that, right here at my desk, I just lied to my Q and reset the clock by one hour. Nothing happened. My schedule was not influenced at all, but neither was the clock! The time didn't even change. Either I did something wrong, or perhaps the internal clock setting is only read on boot up.

I dunno. I find it frustrating.

Thanks for taking the time to answer.

Regards.

[troutseth]

Originally Posted by QRichardQ

I don't want to clog the forum with my stupidity, but the key seems to be a difference in how you and I deal our schedules.

You say, "Per your example you can enter and receive all mtg notices in your home timezone and not have to do the math either before OR after." I receive no "meeting notices." I set my schedule by various means, some written, some verbal, and enter it into my calendar.

Forget electronics for a moment. If my secretary set up an itinerary for me in a city that's in another timezone, and she typed it all out for me to carry with me, all of the times reflected there would be expressed in the local time, of course, so I would appear in the right places at the right times, including at the airport to catch my plane home.

When she sets up the 2:00 pm meeting, for example, neither she nor the other party will give a moment's thought to what time it will happen to be back at my office when that 2:00 pm meeting happens, since I will then be there.

I expect my electronic calendar to do the same thing: type it in exactly that way, and give it back to me the same way. No time translations are required at any point in the process.

So I concluded, forget the bloody timezone setting on the Q. When my plane lands in the other timezone, I'll leave that alone and just reset the clock by the required number of hours (or perhaps dial *228 as we will shortly find out from PNut). Hopefully that will put me onto the correct time without screwing up my schedule. To test that, right here at my desk, I just lied to my Q and reset the clock by one hour. Nothing happened. My schedule was not influenced at all, but neither was the clock! The time didn't even change. Either I did something wrong, or perhaps the internal clock setting is only read on boot up.

I dunno. I find it frustrating.

Thanks for taking the time to answer.

Regards.

It really isn't worth a long discussion because phones that handle it correctly allow for either method. My Treo, for example allows for auto update of the clock or setting a firm timezone (I believe the BJ has both as well). You can keep in in your time zone and I can have it auto update.

I do receive meeting notices that I accept from other Outlook users. In fact we are a virtual company of over 300 all on Exchange so that is my most common method besides self entry. If Outlook did not adjust it for me, I run the risk of accepting and not remebering to go adjust the time; or best case example I have to adjust every notice I receive. Luckily, Outlook adjusts it for me. I just wish the Q would handle getting the time from the sever like every other phone, including others on WM5. Then we can have different settings and both could be happy!

Have a good one!

[azieba]

Maybe you can get your buddy to export his registry on the Blackjack so that we could take a look and maybe find a hack.

[troutseth]

Originally Posted by azieba

Maybe you can get your buddy to export his registry on the Blackjack so that we could take a look and maybe find a hack.

hehehe already on it . . . . i am trying to get him to understand what a reg editor is . . .

[Utah Q User]

dialing *228 does NOT update the time. Just traveled from MST to PST last week and tried this and it does not work. W/ the Q you have to go into time and date settings and change the time manually.