[bdever1975]

I am starting this thread in hopes to start a revolution...no just kidding

I am actually starting this thread b/c as you may know, WW has made the decision to discontinue the On-The-Go program by the end of the year and replace it with a new Mobile program, which basically is a WW mobile web site that users can log into from their phones. Unfortunately, the members who post to the OTG board on the Weight Watchers site are not getting a lot of info from WW and we have been posting how to's among ourselves and trying to help eachother navigate this transition. We are now faced with the reality that our Weight Watchers On-The-Go message board on the WW site will probably be going away real soon and we will be loosing all of our valuable information shared there. So this is for all of us on WW OTG who are getting left out in the cold with the program being discontinued by the end of the year and being replaced with the "new Mobile wed site." I want everyones issues, concerns and questions to be answered here, so please contribute to this thread if you have any information to add on eith OTG or the new Mobile site that others may find useful. I am going to start this with some answers to FAQs that have been thrown my way.

1. The new mobile wb site will allow you to access the WW Tracker, Points Calculator, Food/Dining Out guide, & your stored Favorites from your cell phone IF you have a mobile internet browser & a highly recommended data plan through your cell phone carrier. (Isay highly recommended b/c if you access the site via your mobile browser w/o a data plan you will pay mucho bucks for using the internet charge per kb of usage. I cannot post the links to the new mobile site b/c I am new here-Can someone else post the links for me?

2. The Mobile site is not "live" yet, but rather still in testing, however, it works and you can us it daily to log your tracker.

3. OTG is still operational until the end of the year. The differences between OTG & new site? Simple, OTG lives in your device & you must sync to WW to keep you data current. The new site does not live in your device, so therefore you go to it, it does not come to you. That being said, there is no syncing or saving involved since you are tracking via WW site directly. Personally I like something that lives in my device and I can call my own but that is just mo.

4. I have and use OTG as my primary method of tracking but I have used the site. OTG is compatable on selected Palm devices. The Palm phones that OTG is compatable wiith are Treo & Centro (I have a Cantro). Weight Watchers preemptively (excuse my spelling, I was hooked on phonics at a very young age) released a statement that the new site would only be compatiable with devices running Windows Mobile 6, Blackberry & iPhone and that it would NOT support the Palm OS but I am hear to set the record straight and tell you that is pure fluff. The site work fine on my Palm Centro that has a Palm OS & fine on my Blazer browser (which is a weak browser to begin with).

5. The OTG program is no longer available for NEW downloads, however it does remain available to those who have already downloaded it. Weight Watchers has announced that they have made BOTH OTG and the new Mobile site FREE to paying etools, On-Line, Monthly Pass, and pay-as-you-go members. What this mean to those who have been PREPAYING for OTG is that you can now contact WW CS and ask them to refund you your prepayment and they will.

6. For those of you who might say "For the life of me I have OTG but I cannot figure out how to dowload this sucker to my Centro and I need a stiff drink right about now!" --Take 5, make your drink and then do the following:
I finally figured out how to get WWOTG to work on my new Centro (AT&T) and thought I'd share what worked for me.

The hotsync conduit (v.7.0.2) doesn't work with the software after downloading from the site, so I could not even install the software on the Centro. To work around this, I manually added them to "install files" in the hotsync manager.

I went to the WWOTG folder in Program Files on your PC. I located all of the .prc files (palm program files) and manually added them to the hotsync queue by right clicking and selecting "Send to" then selected "Palm Handheld device". Following are the paths for the 5 files:
WWOTG/ob_inst/datadrivers/Palm/XDBPalmPDB.prc
WWOTG/ob_inst/Palm/OBC.prc
WWOTG/ob_inst/Palm/SysZLib.prc
WWOTG/ob_inst/Palm/Conduit/OBLaunch.prc
WWOTG/WWsetup/WWSiteLink.prc

Then perform a hotsync. When on your device, follow the setup procedures as indicated on the WW site, remembering to use wireless hotsyncing, not the desktop:

7. For those of you who want OTG to sync but through USB & not wirelessly (b/c let's face it we arent rich!) try this:
For everyone who owns a Palm Centro I need you to help me test this process by trying to replicate it please. I got my Centro to sync using only the USB and without an internet conncetion and this is how I did it-Please let me know if this works for you! I really would like some feedback:
1. Connect your Centro to your PC using the USB/Cable
2. From the WWOTG application on the phone select Sync Options
3. Select "Advanced"
4. Select "Yes"
5. Select Connect to Weight Watchers.com" "Via a HotSync with my desktop" from the drop down menu.
6. Open the Palm Desktop on your PC.
7. Click on the "Hotsync" option on the toolbar.
8. Click on "Setup"
9. Select the "Modem" tab.
10. From the "Modem" drop down menu, try syncing WWOTG using different modems until you find one that works.

FOOTNOTE***In my case I got a successful sync using "US Robotics Sportster." I only tried this as a last resort b/c I lost the "free" dataplan that I was getting on my Centro tonight after the carrier wised-up that I am not a "subscriber." Therefore, eliminating the possibility of an actual internet connection interfering in the process listed above. I also want to add that I stumbled across the process above about a year ago when WWOTG was having serious sycn issues and this method was originally & successfully tested on my Zire71.

8. For those of you who like me, want to see OTG stay around as an option to the new Mobile site b/c we have invested so much in our Palm devices and do not want a new phone, pay for data charges, etc. I encourage you to contact WW CS and voice your opinions. I have written both formal and open letters to the decision makers at WW to let them know we are not going away and our needs should be addressed.

I will be posting more infoover the next few days as I compile more issues and questions that keep coming up on the WW OTG board alot, but if you get to them before I do, by all means post.

Thanks for reading

-Bethany

[foxfieldco]

Thanks Bethany,

The link for the mobile site is

http : / / m . weightwatchers . com (remove all the spaces in the link, wouldn't let me post it directly either, but there's always a way to get around it)


I tried it and can get to it from Pocket Internet Explorer (which can't get to the regular site), but when I tried it from Skyfire (which can get to the regular site but its so small its almost impossible to use), I got an error saying that my device wasn't eligible, that I had reached a site designed for "Blackberry" only.

I'm using an AT&T Tilt running Windows Mobile and right now am using WW-OTG running under the StyleTap emulator (which works great)..

So far what I've seen (using PIE), the new mobile site seems awkward, cumbersome and SLOW.. I have a feeling I'm really going to to hate this when they take OTG away from us.

[Jane]

A big to your new group. Please pop around the boards here, and make yourselves at home. We have a very friendly group of members who are supportive, encouraging and knowledgeable. If you need anything, please let one of us moderators know, and we'll do our best to help.

[suitejudyblueeyes]

What Jane said.
Welcome to the WW area of 3FC!

[bdever1975]

I read that other people having problems with the http : / / m. weightwatchers . com address were able to bring up the site if they used the full http : / / mobile . weightwatchers. com address have you tried this yet? Also you might want to try downloading the opera mini browsers to your phone. It does run faster that other browsers and it is FREE! I am working on a FAQ post that will be made in to a sticky here I hope so I will keep you updated. I will try posting the Opera Mini download instructions here as well tonight.

Thanks for finding me and posting

[bdever1975]

Hi Joanna,

As promised...Here are the download instructions for Opera Mini as posted by Ladyangst9 on the Weight Watchers site:

Here's how I installed Opera Mini. This is all free stuff.

Get the zip file for Java Virtual Machine here:

http: // mytreo.net/downloads/ibm-websphere-everyplace-java-virtual- machine,1313.html (without the spaces!)

Unzip.

Navigate to the PALMOS JVM 5.7.2 folder that was unzipped.

1. In that folder, open the JVM folder.
2. In that folder, open the ARM4T folder.
3. In that folder, select j9pref.prc and J9JavaVMMidp20.prc

Drag the files to Palm Quick Install.

Then go to http: // www . operamini . com (without the spaces!) If your phone is listed download the appropriate PRC file. (The one for the 700 worked on my Centro.)

Put that file in Quick install, too, and sync your Palm.

Go into you Palm apps and click on the big, red O--this will install Opera.

After Opera is installed, go to your Palm's preferences. Go down to IBM, change the stack size to 32k and put the memory on 4MB then it will run smoothly.

That's how I did it. And good luck!

I really HAVE been able to get into the weight watchers site and use original points tracker (the new on requires Flash, and Opera can't do that.) I'm also still running WWOTG, and I sync wirelessly with very little trouble.

I really hope this is helpful!!

[bdever1975]

A bit of news today:

The new Weight Watchers Mobile has been announced as of this morning and is LIVE (not in testing). Fi you are having technical difficulties with the Mobile site you need to contact CS at mobile @weightwatchers.com (remove space before @).

For those of us still using OTG, I was able to get a successful sync this morning.

For those of you who are still posting to the WW OTG board but would like to register in order to post on this board but cqannot register due to the site not accepting your email address, please contact the site administrator and let them know the issue as the moderator of this board informed me that they would be willing to accomidate us.

Thanks
-Bethany

[bdever1975]

We are pleased to announce the launch of Weight Watchers® Mobile.

As we've mentioned in a recent announcement, Weight Watchers Mobile allows subscribers to access some of the Plan Manager features remotely from any Blackberry or iPhone.

Those with Internet-enabled devices and phones running Windows Mobile Version 6 will also be compatible. To find out which phones are equipped with Windows Mobile Version 6 software, please contact your carrier.

As a Weight Watchers® Online or Weight Watchers eTools subscriber, you will automatically have access to our mobile product, available to you at no extra charge! So if you have a compatible device, give it a try at the following address on your device's web browser:

http: // mobile . weightwatchers . com (remove spaces)

If you have any questions about our new mobile product, please contact us at mobile @ weightwatchers.com (please remove the spaces around the "@" before sending). If you happen to forget this address, please use the Weight Watchers On-the-Go™ link on the contact page to send a message.

Again, thank you for your interest and continued support of WeightWatchers.com.

[bdever1975]

Weight Watcher’s On-The-Go/Mobile FAQ:

What was the announcement made my Weight Watchers regarding no more access to On-The-Go and a new Mobile program?
“Thank you for your Interest in Weight Watchers On-the-Go™.
Based on customer feedback, we will be making some improvements to this product and will soon launch a new and exciting mobile feature to help with your weight-loss journey.
Due to our upgrades, we will no longer offer Weight Watchers On-the-Go for download. Existing Weight Watchers On-the-Go subscribers will have limited support while they continue to sync and use it for Free until the end of 2008.
The new product currently being developed will allow subscribers access some of the Plan Manager features. We have been informed that it will work with Blackberry and iPhone devices. It has also been confirmed that Internet - enabled devices and phones running Windows Mobile Version 6 will also be compatible. To find out which phones are equipped with Windows Mobile Version 6 software, please contact your carrier. We will have more details about this product soon. Please continue to look for updates from us as more information becomes available.
We apologize for any inconvenience, and would like to thank you once again for your interest in Weight Watchers On-the-Go. Please continue to look for updates about our new mobile feature.”

What is the main difference between going to the regular ww online via your mobile device versus weight watchers mobile? I mean...if you can get on the internet, why not just go to the reg site?
The WW main site is too complex for mobile browsers due to all the flashplayer requirements. The mobile site is designed specifically to work with the smaller screens found on handheld devices as well as work with the resources & memory available with mobile devices. The mobile site concurrently updates with the "regular" ww site so the information is shared between the two.

Is OTG available for blackberry or iPhone?
No, On-The-Go is a program that is specifically designed for Palm Devices running a Palm Operating system. However, the Weight Watchers Mobile Program is designed for Blackberry, iPhone, devices running Windows Mobile 6.0, and other smartphones with an internet browser. A data plan through your cell phone carrier is highly recommended to avoid paying data charges when accessing the new site with your phone.

I am having issues setting up OTG and getting it to sync successfully, what could be causing this, how can I fix this?
A) If you get a favorites inconsistency or database error when trying to sync it may be because you have used the option, "Make this serving the default setting", in the Plan Manager when you set a favorite. I deleted all the favorites when I was having trouble and had no problem syncing after that.
The OTG database is set up to handle that option since it's fairly new.
B) The hotsync conduit (v.7.0.2) doesn't work with the software after downloading from the site, so I could not even install the software on the Centro. To work around this, I manually added them to "install files" in the hotsync manager.

I went to the WWOTG folder in Program Files on your PC. I located all of the .prc files (palm program files) and manually added them to the hotsync queue by right clicking and selecting "Send to" then selected "Palm Handheld device". Following are the paths for the 5 files:
WWOTG / ob_inst/datadrivers/Palm/XDBPalmPDB . prc
WWOTG / ob_inst/Palm/OBC . prc
WWOTG / ob_inst/Palm/SysZLib . prc
WWOTG / ob_inst/Palm/Conduit/OBLaunch . prc
WWOTG / WWsetup/ WWSiteLink . prc
(REMOVE SPACES)

Then perform a hotsync. When on your device, follow the setup procedures as indicated on the WW site, remembering to use wireless hotsyncing, not the desktop
C) I did get my Centro to sync via USB before I had a data plan and this is how I did it (please note that I avoid using the One Bridge Desktop Connector and leave it closed b/c it is a worthless piece of you know what).

For everyone who owns a Palm Centro I need you to help me test this process by trying to replicate it please. I got my Centro to sync using only the USB and without an internet conncetion and this is how I did it-Please let me know if this works for you! I really would like some feedback:
1. Connect your Centro to your PC using the USB/Cable
2. From the WWOTG application on the phone select Sync Options
3. Select "Advanced"
4. Select "Yes"
5. Select Connect to Weight Watchers.com" "Via a HotSync with my desktop" from the drop down menu.
6. Open the Palm Desktop on your PC.
7. Click on the "Hotsync" option on the toolbar.
8. Click on "Setup"
9. Select the "Modem" tab.
10. From the "Modem" drop down menu, try syncing WWOTG using different modems until you find one that works.
FOOTNOTE***In my case I got a successful sync using "US Robotics Sportster." I only tried this as a last resort b/c I lost the "free" dataplan that I was getting on my Centro tonight after the carrier wised-up that I am not a "subscriber." Therefore, eliminating the possibility of an actual internet connection interfering in the process listed above. I also want to add that I stumbled across the process above about a year ago when WWOTG was having serious sycn issues and this method was originally & successfully tested on my Zire71.
D) This works for me, YMMV. If you downloaded OTG (before they cut it off) but haven't been able to sync, try this. Maybe it will work for you too. Worth a try...
1. Have the WW site open on your desktop but do not have the Tracker window open.
2. Open the web connection on your phone.
3. Then go to the WW icon on your phone and try to sync.
E) I removed all my favorite foods, all my recipes, and all my meals from the online tracker. Reinstalled WWOTG, and now it is working great....syncs okay. Maybe this will help others. I have the Palm Centro.
F) I have a Zire 31. This is what I did to get it working. First, backup all your files. What I am going to tell you next will delete any new software on the Zire other than what came installed. (The reason why you need to back up the hh.) Now, do a HARD boot. Hold down the power button while you insert a paper clip into that little hole in the back. When the screen comes back on, release the power button. When that's done, on your PC, bring up one window with On-The-Go. Now reinstall the WW OTG software by double clicking the WW icon on the PC. When it tells you to hotsync, do it. It will tell you to enter in your login id and password. Go ahead and do it. You might end up getting an error message, just clear the message and hotsync again.Here is something tricky, I had to do it 3 times before it worked. I would see 85 byes out, then 509 bytes out and it would stall. Do NOT do anything because all of a sudden it started to work.
The last message on my PC was the Failed to open HotSync log file for reading.But who cares, it worked! Good luck to you.
I forgot to tell you, but if you do get an error message, when you close the message it might close the OTG window. Open another window with On-The-Go before you hotsync again.

I'm trying to download On the Go on my Palm Centro but once I download the file to my computer, it won't let me install it. Does it work with a Mac?No. You'd have to install it using a PC and then you can sync it.

How do I access the Help topics for the new WW Mobile site?
You can access the help feature directly from the Mobile home page. There is a link for troubleshooting which gives a lot of good answers regarding WW mobile. You can also access it by typing w w w. weightwatchers . com / mobilehelp (remove spaces) directly into your internet browser address bar.

I am trying to access the WW Mobile site on my device but I cannot bring it up, how do I bring up the site?
First, make sure that you are not using “WWW” when typing in the site address. Second, there are 2 different addresses you can use to access the site: 1) http : / / m. weightwatchers . com OR 2) http : / / mobile . weightwatchers . com (REMOVE THE SPACES). If you find that one address does not work, try the other. Please contact WW CS if you have any technical issues with the Mobile site. You can contact them by emailing them using the link given at the WW web site or you can call the general service call center at 1-800-651-6000.

What files do I remove from my device if I no longer want OTG?
These are the files you need to delete:
* OBLaunch
* OneBridge
* SiteLink
* ZLib
* XDBPalmPDB

I am a Weight Watchers member and I just found out about On-The-Go, how do I download it to my Palm Device?
As of July, 2008, OTG is no longer available for download, as the program is being replaced by the new Weight Watchers Mobile program and more than likely OTG will no longer be available altogether by the end of 2009. You can however, access the WW Mobile web site using your Palm Treo/Centro’s internet browser.

I have a Palm device that is not listed as being compatible that the website says that there is no compatible download for...Anyone out there tried?
I have used OTG with Treo 650, 750 and now 755. I sync wirelessly and it works fine. Try different settings for other devices close to the one you have to see if they work.

The problem is that I can no longer sign up or download OTG. When I go to the On-the-Go page, I get this message:
“We apologize for the inconvenience, but users can no longer sign up for Weight Watchers On-the-Go™. If you have any questions please contact customer service.”
It has been suggested by some WW Members that by renewing your On-Line or E-Tools membership they are able to get the On-line link to download OTG even though CS says it is no longer available for download.

Am I missing this or does WW Mobile not have a place to track water, fruit, oils etc?
No, you are not missing it. This is the answers that WW Mobile CS has provided: “We are sorry that you are unable to track your healthy checks with Weight Watchers® Mobile at this time. Suggestions and feedback from our customers are extremely important to us and will help us to continue to improve our new product. We appreciate your patience while we address this issue on your behalf.”

I live on the West coast & the Mobile web site seems to be set on Eastern time and makes my daily tracker start a new day at 9 PM. Is there any way to change the time zone?
Unfortunately, this is one "glitch" that the WW Mobile team has not addressed yet. Theoretically, you should be able to select "Previous Day," in "Today's Details" and the site should let you log your evening points into the previous day (which is actually still "today" for people living in the West & Mid-West) but it has been reported that the site will not let you log points using the "Previous Day" option.

[bdever1975]

I am hoping that someone will want to help me test a theory. I am thinking that even though WW discontinued the download for On-The-Go, for those of you who do not have it yet for your Palms maybe I could simply email you the PRC files and you could download that way? Sounds simple enough...Let me know if you want to give it a try

[bdever1975]

For all Palm users:

I have been able to access the mobile site just fine using the Opera Mini Browser until tonight that is when I got the infamous error message: "You cannot currently access Weight Watchers Mobile on your device. Please make sure yu are using a supported device and that it’s set up to accept cookies. Weight Watchers Mobile is designed for use with Blackberry, Windows Mobile 6, and iPhone. Weight Watchers Mobile may function on other devices, but we cannot provide technical support at this time.”

According to the Opera Mini Help section we are to contact the site administrator of which this error message was generated and request that their server that is sending the cookies recognize the Opera Mini browser.

The above scenario was from last night. This morning I opened Opera Mini but instead of using the bookmarked WW Mobile address I manually typed in url: http : // mobile. weightwatchers . com (remove spaces) and it worked!

So the take home message is that the site is very quirkie and unstable as this issue has also been reported by BB & iPhone users as well. Their solution is that if you receive this error message you need to flip-flop between using the url: http : // m. weightwatchers . com (remove spaces) and http : // mobile. weightwatchers . com (remove spaces) and one of these should work if the other one does not. The only thing I would like to add to this is that you do not use the bookmarked URl but instead type it in manually to the browsers address bar. I would also like to add that if you preform this and you still get the error message, try again the next day.

[ksb063]

Has anyone used this? As on the go gets phased out need a replacement. Or better yet has any one written a points calculator for palm ( have one for excel) have not written code for over 15 years.

[bdever1975]

KSB:

Someone has written a program for Palm OS. My suggestion to you is that you search Yahoo Users group for a program called "WWCalc" and you will find what you are looking for. Sorry I have to be vague, I do not want to get anyone in trouble.

[ksb063]

Thank you

[bdever1975]

KSB & others who might be interested:

I found this bit of news on another board that I frequent!

Health & Diet Manager version 3 Released
Stories >> Software - Sep 9th - 10:09 AM EDT | By Jennifer Chappell

iambic has announced the release of Health & Diet Manager version 3.0, which in addition to the Windows Mobile (Pocket PC and Smartphone) version, is now available also for Palm OS and Windows Desktop PCs. And best of all, both the Palm OS and Windows Mobile versions synchronize with the Desktop.
Health & Diet Manager is an indispensible assistant allowing to easily track food intake, calorie consumption, and exercise regimen. The software has been designed with ease of use and mobility in mind, and at the same time allows for a through tracking of every detail surrounding the individual's health.
It comes with an extensive food database that includes menus from popular eateries (such as McDonalds, Burger King, Subway, etc.). This database is customizable and offers a straightforward way to add food items as well as whole meals. For those on diet programs such as WeightWatchers, Health & Diet Manager provides a convenient way to track point balances and map points to meals.Windows Desktop users can take advantage of two way synchronization introduced in version 3, allowing data exchange between the desktop and the mobile versions.
Health & Diet Manager sounds very useful. Probably an app I should put on my Centro. I'm sitting here eating doughnuts and drinking coffee for breakfast. Hmmm... and I wonder why I need to lose about 40 lbs. Sheesh!