I am currently looking to buy a bluetooth keyboard with mouse but encountered some new terms I hardly understood. I was wondering if anyone would be kind enough to explain the differences.
I do understand and know how a BT keyboard and mouse work. No problem with that, but some keyboard only mentions: wireless keyboard, wireless laser keyboard, wireless optical keyboard, optical laser keyboard, etc...
OK, so they are all wireless, but that does mean they are all connected via Bluetooth? The words "optical" and "laser" threw me off. What do they mean? Should I assume if the word "wireless" is in the product description that they are referring to Bluetooth connectivity? But after reading the description, I did not encountered the word Bluetooth, so is there another way to be wireless other than BT (excluding IR of course)?
Forgive me for my ignorance, but I don't want to buy something and regret it later.
...
Most wireless keyboard+mouse combinations usually use RF transmitters, a small usb stick.
Bluetooth is not as common but a good alternative especially from this forum's viewpoint: you can use it to connect phone too You can either use computer's built-in BT or usb stick usually supplied with the set. Built-in BT is good solution with laptops.
Optical and laser refer to the mouse and the technology it uses to detect mouse movement. Normal consumer does not really see
any difference between these two but hardcore gamers might.
Hope this helps a bit
Related
Hi!
I don't own a PDA and I'm interested in the XDA-II/Qtek2020.
But I need some answer for how it performs in practice...
Of course, you can answer to individual questions only:
A* is it possible to navigate through softwares while you are in a phone call (i.e: look into the scheduler, check for a phone number or explore a map on a navigation software). Of course it should be easier with a headset.
B* Can I use a non-bluetooth headset (hearphones+microphone)? proprietary connector or easily available?
C* Can I listen to MP3 through the headset instead of the speaker ?
D* did someone already test it with a non-bluetooth GPS device? I'd like to use it with my Garmin eTrex (self-powered) or highly available Royaltek Sapphire. Would I have a luck with this kind of devices?
E* is the "craddle"-proprietary connector compatible with another more famous one? (ie: easy to find in Belgium)... (for car kits, battery chargers, ...)
F* with an english ROM, is the virtual keyboard available with other layouts than QWERTY? (in my case, french or belgian AZERTY).
G* can this PDA/GSM be used by a PC as a GSM modem? (via bluetooth, cable, or whatever)
H* is the CompactFlash optional adapter available somewhere? price range?
Many thanks!
A. some yes, some no
B. yes
C. yes
D. -
E. yes AFAIK
F. maybe, third party software
G. yes
H. dunno
F: yes: http://www.sunnysoft.cz/en_clanek.php?clanekid=132
H: it has some connectors when you remove the back part below the battery, i suppose it is ment to be used with an adaptor (i doubt it will be available though)
get it, it's great!
Thank you already...
Meanwhile I found some additional answers, but I'd like some more precision:
A- PDA use while online on the phone: does it depend on CPU usage? Say a friend asks me if i'm free on thursday evening: can I check if I'm free on the software agenda without hanging up? can i search a phone number while i'm already online?
B-C : reformulation of the questions: the provided headset is a stereo headset + microphone, usable for the phone part as well as the PDA part. So I don't need to carry one headset for phone *and* stereo hearphones for mp3. Am I correct?
D: GPS question unanswered. The Etrex or Royaltek Sapphire have RS232 output. (but USB converter can be used).
E: i may not have been clear: on any shop you find, car charger for Nokia phones, or HP PDA. So, is the proprietary connector of the XDA-2 compatible with a widely spread connector or must I order it on an online shop at an unfriendly price ?
F: it seems "yes". I've seen a 30$ software to get international keyboards: http://pocket-pc-software.penreader.com/InterKey.html
G: good news. Is the XDA-II "as PC modem" possible by USB? Bluetooth? IrDA? both?
H: i've finally seen CF adapter as "backpack for XDA-II" . It seems very expensive £130
A: no problem to use other SW during a call, except the ones using the speaker
B: the provided headset is for call & MP3
D: I use the Wired Tomtom GPS without problem (a realtek actually)
E: for cables look at PDAShop.be
H: there's an CF adapter available but don't no if you can get it in belgium.
For the azerty keyboard, the XDAII provided by Proximus has one. You can choose between Qwerty & azerty.
Regards
Ferdinand
Thank you Ferdinand!
Glad to read the "proximus" news ... I just hope they will provide ROM updates as often as others (if needed )
Other things about "A" (PDA usage while online on the phone):
- What happens if I receive a phone call while, for example, editing a pocketExcel sheet? Will this sheet be lost or will I just have to switch task to go back on it? (maybe obvious answer, but what happens in practice ?)
- Are there moments when the phone is not available? (while syncing with pc? while on high CPU usage?)
For my Garmin GPS, I just had a not-so-straight idea: I have a IrDA serial dongle somewhere (!)... if this dongle doesn't need powersupply, I may use it instead of buying a proprietary cable... plus I don't have to reconfigure IrDA on XDA-II
Again, thank you
Hi xda-developers,
I have a serious problem with accessing the usb-port with my unrooted htc desire.
I just want to connect a switch/circuit breaker to my cellphone via usb. And than I want to be able to react on the event if somebody pressed the switch. It's only this little event that I wan't to react on.
I searched the web and found two ways to achieve my goal:
1.) Get a Bluetooth device and interact with that.
2.) Root the Desire and make/solder a usb-to-serial cable
But seriously? A Bluetooth device just to recognize if somebody pressed a hardware button? And I want to share this project so if possible I would relinquish the need of a rooted device.
So now, after hours of web-searching and reading references, I ask you, the awesome xda-developers-community: Is there any easy way to access the usb-port from within my Android-App or the Android-Scripting-Engine?
Every hint is appreciated.
.:LordAlien:.
No one an idea? Or just a little hint where I could read furthermore related to access the usb-port?
It seems like you would need a bit more than root and a USB-to-Serial cable.
Maybe if you only need one hardware switch you could use the mic button input, or play a sound to the mic input? Or use a magnet and the magnetic sensors (electromagnet, or even a neodym magnet glued to your hardware button).
Thanks for your replay.
I already read about the usb-host-capabilites, but I thought if I only want to detect on little signal I would not need the whole usb-host stuff.
Thanks for the Idea with the magnetic thing, but if I really need another device to realize my switch I will stay with bluetooth.
/edit: I thought off buying a littel&cheap bluetooth mouse and interact on the click. Would it be possible? Can I actually connect a bluetooth mouse to my android mobile phone?
I don't think a Bluetooth mouse would work, at least not out of the box. Most Android devices don't fully support the Bluetooth HID or SPP profiles. It's missing software, not hardware. But I saw that the Dell Streak apparently supports keyboards and mice.
BlueInput only supports keyboards, it seems. It doesn't need root. So apparently it should be possible to do the same for mice, but I didn't find anybody doing it yet. But maybe you can ask the BlueInput people whether mice would also work, just without a visible pointer (because Android doesn't have a visible mouse pointer). That wouldn't matter to you, but it would be useless for normal mouse users, so perhaps they just don't advertize that BlueInput can talk to mice, too.
Or maybe you can find a cheap headset which is supported by Android. The answer button should work.
Oh look, with root it works apparently.
Yeah I think you are right again. I only thought of the volume buttons on a headset therefore I suggested a mouse.
Is there list of compatible bluetooth headset? Because I already have one a Jabra BT2015 which is not supported (at least I can't get it working).
With the latest Transformer firmware I have paired and connected an Apple Wireless keyboard. But typing doesn't do anything.
It's frustrating as it shows up as "Connected to input device".
Anyone else have any luck?
Biffy said:
With the latest Transformer firmware I have paired and connected an Apple Wireless keyboard. But typing doesn't do anything.
It's frustrating as it shows up as "Connected to input device".
Anyone else have any luck?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you installed a keyboard app?
I have a little mini bluetooth keyboard (no name chinese) which I usually use with my Galaxy Tab. Just tried it on my Transformer, and it works perfectly.
Regards,
Dave
I've got a think outside BT keyboard and it works perfectly with the Transformer...
Interesting it's working for you guys. Did you have to install anything? Or change any HC settings?
Maybe it's something to do with the Apple keyboard hardware.
I don't know why but I've always had trouble with Apple stuff that i've tried to connect to other non apple devices via bluetooth. Apple to apple bluetooth is always fine though which is strange. I don't know much about bluetooth but maybe apple products use a non-standard profile or something.
My Apple keyboard did not work either when pairing. I got another bluetooth keyboard out, and that worked correctly.
Looks like I need to get a new one.... Are there any Bluetooth keyboards with android keys like the search and menu keys?
Biffy said:
Looks like I need to get a new one.... Are there any Bluetooth keyboards with android keys like the search and menu keys?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Xoom Keyboard is only one I know available that is made with android keys. I think acer is coming out with one for Iconia and I foresee many 3rd party companies making one in near future.
I can confirm that the Apple Wireless key get paired, reckognized but...not working
RedMist said:
Have you installed a keyboard app?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have this same problem, but I didn't know a keyboard app was required. Any suggestions on a good app?
i too am in a similar situation
Purchased the ZAGG bluetooth keyboard. It pairs fine and works with my iPad, and even my Galaxy Nexus. However on my Eee Pad Transformer, it pairs, but can't use it.
I recently purchased a car that has a USB interface for the radio. My wife's Iphone fully integrates with it, of course, and via the radio's interface but the Samsung only mounts as a connected drive.
I have read other thread where people were able to force their Samsung into car dock mode by modifying a USB cable. Is there anyway to just do that in software?
you misunderstand what car mode is.
Good luck! I switched back to my iPhone for this reason alone. I listen to a lot of podcasts and I couldn't get this to work via the USB interface and I don't have bluetooth on my head unit. I can't seem to get the newest update to see if that works either. Would love to know if someone has a solution that doesn't require making your own cable.
yo sleze..what model car if i may ask?
i made my own auxiliary input for my car(i know its not a big feat) with an old dsl filter a soldering gun and some resistors and capacitors.. i might be interested in creating a usb interface for my car and then maybe i can give you some insight .. big maybe
well you will never get the headunit to command the phone, android simply doesn't support anything like that. but you can get audio over USB which is triggered by shorting a couple pins through a resistor. ill have to look up that thread but there may already be a dongle or cable out there to do this. it may not be say "android carmode" but if you find the name of the USB standard that they use to trigger it you can find the appropriate cable or dongle.
isnt there a usb headset available that can stop/start music and next track functionality ..if so you could (in theory) make a usb interface that would allow the head unit or in my case steering wheel control to work similarly?
no it wont command the phone. the framework and apps don't have an interface for that. plus the headunit would need special drivers if the phone had that capability. the issue with android is too many manufacturers do things different so unless google comes out with that on a nexus and tells maunfacturers the way it needs to be implimented I don't see any hope.
there might be a way to echo the commands through adb if you have a computer in your car. but I guess you'd have to know how the music app works for that.
we All know apple has the accessories market down pretty good. even though some older accessories don't work with the newest hardware. that's the one thing apple is good for, a wide accessory market.
now if you have a Bluetooth controler and it uses the right protocol to work with thw samaung bluetooth stack then you might be able to map keys to certain functions with an app or simple configuration file editing. but as far as USB goes I don't think android is designed to host USB input devices. there is limited otg usb support on certain special galaxy s and nexus 1 and nexus s kernels but nothing native.
maybe some 3rd party root app could eventually be developed but I haven't heard of one yet.
besides all that, who knows if the head unit will know to go into audio over USB mode in the first place, even if you get the phone in that mode, will the headunit be looking for USB storage and an iPhone interface only? was it designed to accept USB audio other than an iPod interface?
well with my car BMW mad a usb interface for ipod/iphone.. i hate mac so scratch that.. i also have a usb interface(i can control radio/nav functions via carputer) that is designed to work with I-BUS (intelligent input bus) which is what some BMW's used for audio/nav integration. some newer models actually come with a usb input that was designed to work with most media players..so i thought maybe with some time/frustration/rum..i might be able to make it work..
mejori said:
well with my car BMW mad a usb interface for ipod/iphone.. i hate mac so scratch that.. i also have a usb interface(i can control radio/nav functions via carputer) that is designed to work with I-BUS (intelligent input bus) which is what some BMW's used for audio/nav integration. some newer models actually come with a usb input that was designed to work with most media players..so i thought maybe with some time/frustration/rum..i might be able to make it work..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It still to my understanding that on BMW iDrive system will have full integration with iOS. We had a 2010 5 series at home with all the bell and whistles on it, and even then it would only display song names. With my iPod we got full library options, podcast too. Android will only be able to be used as a mounted devices.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I997 using xda premium
I used to have an iPhone and installed this kit http://usaspec.com/product.php?ProductID=18. After switching to android I just use a 2.5mm to RCA cable to plug in to the same unit. Not worried too much about integrating with car controls - I also use a phone mount. Does your head unit have any AUX IN connectivity? Maybe on the rear? If so just play audio through the headphone jack. There's always the lighter socket RF adapter option too, but audio quality with those things can be lame.
Samsung-SGH-I997 Infused 2.3.3
yeah the headphone amp on the infuse has pretty good fidelity too. the headphone Jack might not be as convenient as a single USB that also charges the phone but I'd you want to use the playlists and 3rd party apps like Pandora or Google music its the best way. audio over USB needs the dock or special cable to trigger but I don't know which headunits will support that.
I bought a Microsoft bluetooth mouse to use with my TF300 when I have it hdmi to my tv. Seems to work fine, no connection problems, smooth, until I enter any app, netflix as an example, then it goes haywire. The mouse pointer jumps all over, move the mouse right the pointer goes left, stutters, flashes, overall just becomes unusable. I don't know if the problem is the mouse, interference, the tablet, all of these, none of these???? I guess my question is whether anyone has had any luck with bluetooth mice, if so what brand and did you have to do anything special to get it working? I like the idea of creating my own "smart tv", just wish it would work.
Thanks