How to fix fonts on windows mobile after installing STTM or Gurbani Anywhere

I’ve received this question many many times so here is a step by step guide to reset your Windows mobile (5 or 6) device’s system fonts after installing a punjabi font.

1 – BACKUP your device. I use Sprite Backup, but you can use whatever came with your phone
2 – Connect your device to your computer, sync it up and leave it plugged in.
3 – Download this: CeRegEditor (direct link to download)

Follow the directions in the following pictures, go in order else it won’t make sense :)

The four keys you need to change are:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\GDI\SysFnt find "Nm" and set to Tahoma
HKLM\SYSTEM\GWE\Menu\Menufnt\Barfnt find "Nm" and set to Tahoma
HKLM\SYSTEM\GWE\Menu\Menufnt\Popfnt find "Nm" and set to Tahoma
HKEY_LOCAL_MAHINE\SYSTEM\GDI\FontAlias and set to Tahoma

Once you are done making all 4 changes, hit the save button. Exit CeRegEditor. Reset your phone. You fonts should be reset and everything should be back to normal. Gurbani Anywhere should work as promised and all will be right with the world!

Note: I used CeRegEditor in this guide, but any Windows Mobile Registry editor will work, personally I use one that runs directly on my phone because it’s easier for me, but I thought a desktop based editor may be simpler for others. I use Resco explorer and I highly recommend it!

Panjab Digital Library Launched – Check it out!

Check out this cool new Sikh project that just publicly launched Panjab Digital Library.
From the press release:

For the first time ever a searchable collection of millions of rare pages, on Sikhs and the region of Panjab has been made available. Panjab Digital Library (PDL) will include texts of manuscripts, books, magazines, newspapers and photographs and will be available to anyone with Internet access at www.panjabdigilib.org. This launch was made possible in part by the Nanakshahi Trust and the Sikh Research Institute.

Panjab Digital Library has been in development since 2003, charged with a mission to select, collect, preserve, digitize and make accessible the accumulated wisdom of Panjab. Texts were included without distinction as to script, language, religion, nationality, or other human condition.

Definitely a cool and worthy project that I’ll be keeping my eye on in the future.

Amazing looking planned Gurdwara

Check out this video of the upcoming Gurdwara in Dubai:

Hopefully I get to go check it out one day!

iSikhi – Gurbani Search App for iPhone

After using Gurbani Anywhere on my phone for the last few weeks, my little brother has been getting pretty jealous of all the cool things I could do with it sitting in Diwans, Kirtans, or anytime on-the-go. So Yesterday I grabbed his iPhone and installed the iSikhi iPhone app, which promises to

• Work on iPhone, iPhone 3G, and iTouch devices
• Search Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji and view shabad(s) line by line with english translations
• Search with either First Letters or First Letters Anywhere
• Simple to install like any other iPhone application through App Store. No need to JailBreak your iPhone or any other modifications are required.

Let’s have a look at version 3 of this software. One thing to note is that my brother has the iPhone 2G, but is running version 3.0 of the iPhone OS. I suggest you view these pictures in order:

So the application is extremely clean and well-made. The gurmukhi keyboard and input work wonderfully. One thing I did notice is that performance on this older iPhone was definetly slower than expected, but not enough to bother me too much, or deter me from further use. The application makes good use of the iPhones screen real estate, and viewing the shabad in landscape mode with a slightly increased font makes it perfect for balancing on top of the vaja while practising kirtan.

There are some features from Gurbani Anywhere (which has an upcoming iPhone release also) are the transliterations, favorites, increased viewing options, and searching Bhai Gurdas Vara and Dasam Granth. Hopefully the iSikhi dev team can add some of these and more in upcoming releases.

Head on over to the iSikhi website, install it, donate, and post on the forums for help, comments, and support