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JAM or PDA 2K?

Hi,
I'm due for an upgrade very soon and just wanted to get peoples opinions on the PDA 2K and the JAM.
General impressions of the PDA 2K seem to be a bit dissapointing, however I like the idea of having wifi.
The JAM seems all round very sleek and impressive however the downside would have to be the low ram and the lack of wifi, but then it is a USB host (thats correct isn't it?).
User experiences / opinions would be greatly appreciated. Also any info on the screens? As I couldn't see myself with a screen protector / case on the JAM...

I was indecided whichone to buy...and at last I have chosen the JAM...because of the size and the battery last. The ram should be a problem...but there is the SD slot that helps a lot...except for some appz that do not run well if installed on the SD card. For the Wi-fi it could be a solution the SD card expansion...SD256MB+Wi-fi (from SANDISK)...but is a little bit longer and looks out of the JAM when inserdet :roll: . I have installed about 7 essential APPZ and have still 15mb free...and yes U have the USB cabble to connect with the PC, but without a craddle!
Regards,
Primoz
p.s. I haven`t put on the screen protector yet. And if U go buy it in the shop (not via internet) try it...because there are a lot of people having dead pixles...including me :roll:

just to confirm from someone who's actually used the JAM. Is it a USB host?

Yes it uses USB.

The Jam uses USB but I don't thnk it's a USB Host.

JAM or PDA2K
Like you I'm in two minds about which one to go for. I like all the features on the PDA2K, the keyboard, built in wi-fi and 128meg ram. But at the same time I appreciate the JAMs small size. How are people getting on with the SD WI-FI cards particularly with 802.11G/B mixed mode WAPs? I've read about the numerous problems particularly with D-Link 802.11G/B WAPs and since I own one of these devices I really need some reassurance that the SD WIFI will work with my D-Link WAP.
Also how do people on here find the performance of the SD WIFI cards?

here are some reviews
http://www.davespda.com/reviews/other/sdsdiowifi.htm
http://www.mobiletechreview.com/tips/sandisk_SD_wifi_256.htm
here you can get more
http://www.google.dk/search?hl=da&q=performance+of+the+SD+WIFI+cards&btnG=Google-søgning&meta=

hmm, I've got the same problem.
Now I have MDA III but it is to big for me, while it has all I need - wifi, ram and extra buttons for today, messaging, internet and ok button.
What forejudge to sell MDA III - it fall down on the floor twice and from that time upper part (screen) is not so proper to the down part :?
Very important thing for me is battery .
I dont know if it will be better then in MDA III. You must think that there is replacement battery to MDA III, thich has more cappacity then the original: 2000 mAh and even 3000 mAh made by MugenPower.
As far as know, for now there is no replacement battery to Jam (1200 mAh )
Theoretical, Jam has smaller screen and needs less battery ...
Spb GPRS Monitor shows on my MDA III 6,5 hours of working when it is full (brightness on 2 position - near minimum ) - maybe someone tells me what the same program shows on Jam ????
Look what I found when I was looking some info about Jam:
http://www.etencorp.com/products/Communication/500.php

Does anyone know if compatibility has been improved between SD WI-FI and 802.11G/B mixed mode WAPs particularly D-Link kit?

I'd also like to know if it can work as USB host eg can I plug it into a USB hard drive in my car for playing music?
Cheers
Jamie

jwhitham said:
I'd also like to know if it can work as USB host eg can I plug it into a USB hard drive in my car for playing music?
Cheers
Jamie
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is NO USB host capabilities neither in JAM, nor PDA2k. Jam has a mini-usb port but its USB client only, so you can use it only for syncronise, nothing else.

Car tuning application?

So I am a gearhead/computer nerd... I have a 1999 Trans Am and I do all my tuning on a laptop using EfiLive... Could anyone that is handy with creating applications look at the software and tell me what it would take to port it over to an Android app?
I am pretty sure my Evo has enough CPU/RAM to run the software easily and I think it would be pretty pimp to data log/change tunes from my cell phone instead of having to break out a huge ass laptop..

efilive isn't open source as far as I know, which means nobody but the original developers are going to be porting it....you're asking the wrong people

Koncrete said:
So I am a gearhead/computer nerd... I have a 1999 Trans Am and I do all my tuning on a laptop using EfiLive... Could anyone that is handy with creating applications look at the software and tell me what it would take to port it over to an Android app?
I am pretty sure my Evo has enough CPU/RAM to run the software easily and I think it would be pretty pimp to data log/change tunes from my cell phone instead of having to break out a huge ass laptop..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have an 89 Trans Am GTA, however I was wondering if there was any software for live data streaming for OBD I?

There is torque in the market but it is basically like a scan gauge, not a tuner.

Dynomaster acts like a g-tech. There is an OBD-II scanner but it requires that you get an OBD-II to micro usb adapter, which I'm sure they'll sell you for a pretty penny. As far as programming, the sport compact guys use their laptops, whoever makes those programs for them might help. I've looked but have found anything, I'll just stick to my predator for now.

Android In-Vehicle Infotainment

So I've had a project for the last few months getting Android running as an infotainment system. Here is a demo i thought i'd share with you guys..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNcDq9S8n3I
Basic features:
Android 2.1 (looking to update to GB)
7inch touch-screen (800x480)
3G modem
GPS
Reverse camera (backup camera to see what's behind you)
USB port
would love to hear some criticism or anything regarding the device.. its not perfect, its got a few bugs and glitches.. but is sort of ready for everyday use but is missing a few components to make it 'official' android device (wifi, bluetooth etc).. but i'm just wondering if anyone is interested in something like this? Is this worth developing further on?
This thing runs on Cortex a8 omap3530 board and is based off 0xdroid build.
apologies if im in the wrong forum

Wow dude, thats really cool! I'd love one of these for my car. If you could get Honeycomb on that bad boy it'd be sweet! Just wondering, how do you plan on setting up a rear view camera? Just connect a camera at the back of the car to the tablet itself, then run the Camera app? Seems like the simplest way to me..

Haha cheers love to see the honeycomb source once its out then we'll talk although I'd imagine i'd need better hardware...
currently camera is interfaced by usb (has a usb hub) so i got a cable running under the carpet through the boot then camera is mounted on the bumper. yup camera is called by any camera calling intent.. so any app can use it.
I want to get some proximity sensors (like parking sensors) and write a proper reverse cam app to complement it. But we'll see...

Very cool!
I've been wanting to do this for a while, but I was going to use MeeGo or maybe Moblin since I don't have the programming skills (or Android knowledge for that matter) to build my own computer around Android. I dig what you got so far though.
My suggestion for the reverse camera is one of two things, because it would bug me to have to find and open the camera app every time I needed to back up.
Keep your touchscreen (what model are you using BTW?) and use a bluetooth or wi-fi relay (I know they make 'em, but they are $$$) to provide an input from +12V signal from your reverse light wire to automatically open the camera app, then close the app. Of course, you'd have to program for that.
Or
Have you considered this touch screen? Lilliput 7" touch screen with auto-reverse input. (Needs a RCA camera though)
http://store.mp3car.com/Lilliput_629GL_70NP_C_T_7_VGA_Touchscreen_w_Aut_p/MON-016-0002.htm
This is the one I plan on using since it switches automatically to the camera input whenever you are in reverse. Once you go back to any other gear, the OS input shows up again.
Just a thought to make life a little more convenient (although you already bought your parts so you may be stuck.)

chjade84 said:
Very cool!
I've been wanting to do this for a while, but I was going to use MeeGo or maybe Moblin since I don't have the programming skills (or Android knowledge for that matter) to build my own computer around Android. I dig what you got so far though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks a lot! It needs a lot of time and dedication but it's a real good learning curve. I had to learn a lot of things on the way.. especially c/c++ I wasn't great at but had decent skills with higher level programming.
If you are planning to work with MeeGo its a little fussy with the hardware requirements.. Correct me if i'm wrong, but I think you need an Intel Atom processor. These are a little pricey if you're after an evaluation/hackable kit! But I'd imagine it'll be easier to program as it's a lot more closey coupled with linux.
chjade84 said:
My suggestion for the reverse camera is one of two things, because it would bug me to have to find and open the camera app every time I needed to back up.
Keep your touchscreen (what model are you using BTW?) and use a bluetooth or wi-fi relay (I know they make 'em, but they are $$$) to provide an input from +12V signal from your reverse light wire to automatically open the camera app, then close the app. Of course, you'd have to program for that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just had a look at those relays, sounds like its something I really need! Is this how the standard backup cameras work? That was something I was confused about.. I wasn't sure how to detect if i'm on reverse.. especially with the parts I already had. I'd imagine once you implement it you just need a service running in the background to listen for the relay.
The touchscreen is a TFT resistive 4wire touch-screen. It's not something I want to keep as I really want capacitive multi-touch.. But this fits perfectly with the board and was easier to deal with
chjade84 said:
Or
Have you considered this touch screen? Lilliput 7" touch screen with auto-reverse input. (Needs a RCA camera though)
http://store.mp3car.com/Lilliput_629GL_70NP_C_T_7_VGA_Touchscreen_w_Aut_p/MON-016-0002.htm
This is the one I plan on using since it switches automatically to the camera input whenever you are in reverse. Once you go back to any other gear, the OS input shows up again.
Just a thought to make life a little more convenient (although you already bought your parts so you may be stuck.)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nice find! I wish I saw that earlier .. Quite pricey but would make life so much easierrrrr!
Cheers for the feedback! Best of luck for your project!

tknz said:
I just had a look at those relays, sounds like its something I really need! Is this how the standard backup cameras work? That was something I was confused about.. I wasn't sure how to detect if i'm on reverse.. especially with the parts I already had. I'd imagine once you implement it you just need a service running in the background to listen for the relay.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think most factory backup cameras use two inputs and switch between them. I don't have a lot of experience with them though.

chjade84 said:
I think most factory backup cameras use two inputs and switch between them. I don't have a lot of experience with them though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not sure what you mean exactly. I'll try the relays because it at-least gives me a standard interface to work with (bluetooth or wifi) so there isn't any work you have to deal with on the hardware abstraction.. Although it would probably be better designed if I had some sort of voltage input coming when the vehicle on reverse (the reverse light as mentioned). But I don't really have the electrical expertise to make it happen lol.

tknz said:
Not sure what you mean exactly. I'll try the relays because it at-least gives me a standard interface to work with (bluetooth or wifi) so there isn't any work you have to deal with on the hardware abstraction.. Although it would probably be better designed if I had some sort of voltage input coming when the vehicle on reverse (the reverse light as mentioned). But I don't really have the electrical expertise to make it happen lol.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well essentially what I was thinking was you'd have the bluetooth relay hooked up to your reverse light wire. This should allow your computer to monitor whether or not your car was in reverse. Relays are pretty simple - one input switches on/off another, usually one of a much higher or lower voltage. So in essence, it's a switch activated by voltage. (There used to be an electromagnet inside that physically moves a piece of metal to make a connection when a voltage is applied - now it's all transistors and whatnot.)
So, if you are in reverse and your reverse lights are getting power, the bluetooth relay should sense that and signal the computer (through a serial command it seems) which in turn could tell a background service to open the camera app. Once the voltage from the reverse light wire is lost, the relay should again tell the computer that you aren't in reverse anymore and the background service would close the camera app and re-open whatever app you were in.
*I should note this is all "in theory"... I don't know exactly how those wireless relays work/communicate and I don't know Android programming at all.

Thanks for the feedback. I was thinking what about using the GPIOs on the board and attach that to the reverse light? would that be possible? and using some resistors on the way to limit the voltages so i don't fry the board.. but we just need to detect some voltage input...
Not sure, will look into it. Right now, taking a pause on the development.. Got a lot of work to take care of but I can't wait to get back into it. I really want to port this to gingerbread.

tknz said:
Thanks for the feedback. I was thinking what about using the GPIOs on the board and attach that to the reverse light? would that be possible? and using some resistors on the way to limit the voltages so i don't fry the board.. but we just need to detect some voltage input...
Not sure, will look into it. Right now, taking a pause on the development.. Got a lot of work to take care of but I can't wait to get back into it. I really want to port this to gingerbread.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You could possibly do that, a real cheap voltage regulator would probably be better though. You could also use a cheap relay if the correct voltage is already somewhere on the car. Again, I'm not too sure how those bluetooth relays work, but it sounds like you are on the right track.

Great Job!
I was thinking of doing something similar myself.
I am looking at going with one of the tablets as it is just seems easier? I only really need internet, google maps(GPS) and wifi tethering. I would imagine you are running stereo sound from a 3.5mm? I would still have a seperate head unit to control volume and handle all the regular functions as well as inputs from a 3.5 to RCA cable.
How are you running sound off that setup? Are you running a head unit still?

The sound is running off a small amplifier. then RCA to 3.5mm.
Haven't had the chance to play around with the wifi tether as right now i don't have a wifi card.. It would make sense to have wifi tethering or just wifi reciever and use a phone to tether 3g to the system. Avoids having separate data plans.

Can we get a copy of your "AIVI Car Home" for our own DIY projects?

I don't mind releasing the source for it. Its just right now its a bit messy and quite a few things are hardcoded.

tknz said:
So I've had a project for the last few months getting Android running as an infotainment system. Here is a demo i thought i'd share with you guys..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nice project. I gutted a Clarion Mind last year to do pretty much the same thing but am looking to upgrade. You said the software needs work but it's a real good start. Would you mind sharing your hardware list with us?

Nice work!

Something I was also interested in seeing is having vehicle manufacturer recommended service intervals and such available as reminders from your in car system or phone or both.

Stu_Gotti said:
Something I was also interested in seeing is having vehicle manufacturer recommended service intervals and such available as reminders from your in car system or phone or both.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You could use 'aCar' which, if you are unfamiliar, you enter the make, model, mileage and all the pertinent service requirements. Battery every 3 years or 50,000 miles, coolant every year or 15,000 miles, oil every 6 months or 3,000 miles, etc. Then, every time you get gas you enter the current mileage as well as gallons/liters of fuel and the price. From that information you not only get your MPG but it will also trigger reminders to do the necessary maintenance at the correct intervals when they come up. You can do this for multiple cars as well. It's a very good program.
On a related note to this thread, I started my own 'carputer' project using an Archos 70 Internet Tablet and an unused articulating wall mount for TVs. It's still a work in progress as well since I don't have all the parts yet but will do everything I wanted (eventually... lol) except the rear facing camera. The video is obviously just of the media player.
I shot this late last night to show a friend. He wanted to know why someone would want a tablet/computer in their car, lol. Sorry about it being so dark.

Dude
I am keen as mustard on one of these beauties, I was considering running xp MCE but the android option would be much nicer..
Love ya work.

tknz said:
I don't mind releasing the source for it. Its just right now its a bit messy and quite a few things are hardcoded.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please do. Would love to play with it. No matter how clean the code is it's just gonna get better...
thanks for showing it..

Triumph HDMI out - to HDMI touchscreen?

I'm wondering if anyone has any experience with Android phones (with HDMI out) and connecting them to a larger touchscreen (rather than a TV), and can the touchscreen then control the smartphone via the HDMI cable?

I should probably mention that my end goal here is to drop a 10" HDMI touchscreen in the car, and each time I enter the car I simply connect the phone to the touchscreen and then close the phone in the glovebox, basically using the touchscreen to remotely view and control all the phone features.

I'm afraid that HDMI does not support touch screen input. The type of touch screens you are referring to use either a USB or Serial (RS-232) connection to the computer, in addition to the video interface, to provide Touch Screen input. While I'm sure with a little digging there might be something like this to control your phone through a computer (My Mobiler allowed for this on Windows Mobile 5-6.5 phones through either USB or Bluetooth), I don't see being able to do this without a computer (or carputer) as it was, being involved.

So basically, the Triumph would need a USB host to get it done?

KryptoNyte39 said:
So basically, the Triumph would need a USB host to get it done?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, my guess would be that that would be the minimum requirement, as well as obviously some sort of driver support for what would essentially be "Mouse input".

I Think your best bet would be, if you could find an old netbook. One with a touch screen, you could use it as the link to you Phone. I know of 3 programs that let you output your Android phone to a computer monitor. All work on the MT and one lets you use your mouse and keyboard on the MT.
You can find the one I use here.
And if you want to try and make your on touch screen for a netbook take a look at this link. would make for a fun project.
For the other programs have a look at Ashot and [email protected]. All work with my MT.

Thanks, folks. I was kind of eyeballing this thing;
http://www.mo-co-so.com/Double-DIN-Lilliput-669GL-70NP-C-T-7-Touch-Screen-p/mcs-lil-669-dd.htm
But based on what's working right now, the Lilliput screen would still only be a display, and I'd still be controlling it from the phone somehow.
I'm not a programmer I'm afraid, but based on the current state of car stereos, I'm amazed Android hasn't progressed into this market rapidly. Let's face it, Pioneer's current $1000+ head units have just a fraction of the capabilities of my $129 Optimus V.
I considered an Android based head unit, but I think the better path is to be able to tether to the phone when you enter the car in some fasion, and then just simply use the larger in-car display to view the Android device and control it from the touchscreen. In this fashion, I don't need yet another Android device, and the in-car unit is basically without much logic. I'm afraid we might be a couple years out yet.

Yeah, such a panel like that wouldn't really work all that well for your application. The aspect ratio of the panel isn't ideal, and it appears the touchscreen works off a serial interface. Even worse, it is a resistive panel (which is leaps and bounds worse than the capacitive touch panels we're used to on our modern phones). Overall I think even if you did wire something up the experience would be fairly lack luster.

Todd42 said:
I Think your best bet would be, if you could find an old netbook. One with a touch screen, you could use it as the link to you Phone. I know of 3 programs that let you output your Android phone to a computer monitor. All work on the MT and one lets you use your mouse and keyboard on the MT.
You can find the one I use here.
And if you want to try and make your on touch screen for a netbook take a look at this link. would make for a fun project.
For the other programs have a look at Ashot and [email protected]. All work with my MT.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Todd, I hear what you're sayin'. I actually have an old netbook that I hopped up with an SSD. I'm wondering about stowing the netbook, rigging up some kind of start button, and then forming a MIMO monitor into the dash ...
http://www.mimomonitors.com/
(just throwing some ideas around in case it spurs another person's inspiration)

[SOLVED] [Xoom 2] Connect portable HD without external PW: will it ever be possible?

Hi guys,
I´m very new to all this and I don´t really know whether or not this may be possible in the future.
I have the Xoom 2 10.1" Wifi, I´ve already rooted my device, installed "USB mass storage", and purchased this adapter:
amazon uk, "gp/product/B006R0XOLO/ref=oh_o01_s00_i00_details"
(Sorry, I cannot post links yet!)
It works fine with a USB pen, but as soon as I connect my portable HD it freezes immediately, as described here (around 9:30):
youtube, "watch?v=nWvaH-If83Q"
I´d like to be able to use my Xoom to download pictures and videos on the go, so the external powered USB mentioned in the previous video is not a valid solution for me.
I understand is a power issue, but I don´t really know if with the proper kernel (?), a different cable, or some other way I may ignore, this will be possible some day. I would really appreciate some input.
Thanks a lot.

andario said:
Hi guys,
I´m very new to all this and I don´t really know whether or not this may be possible in the future.
I have the Xoom 2 10.1" Wifi, I´ve already rooted my device, installed "USB mass storage", and purchased this adapter:
amazon uk, "gp/product/B006R0XOLO/ref=oh_o01_s00_i00_details"
(Sorry, I cannot post links yet!)
It works fine with a USB pen, but as soon as I connect my portable HD it freezes immediately, as described here (around 9:30):
youtube, "watch?v=nWvaH-If83Q"
I´d like to be able to use my Xoom to download pictures and videos on the go, so the external powered USB mentioned in the previous video is not a valid solution for me.
I understand is a power issue, but I don´t really know if with the proper kernel (?), a different cable, or some other way I may ignore, this will be possible some day. I would really appreciate some input.
Thanks a lot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have found that the newest HDDs (a brand new USB3 Passport) works fine without external power while my smaller 1st generation Passport lights up but doesn't spin.

That´s great news for me, thanks a lot!
The portable HD I tried it´s at least a couple of years old, so that may be the issue. Could you please post a link or at least the exact model you purchased? (I wouldn´t like to purchase the wrong model...).
I just noticed, though, that your signature says "Motorola Xoom", not Xoom 2, I wonder if the all device may be possible to power it up while the new one may not??
I realize the Xoom 2 is not a very popular device, but I´m still quite worried about such a positive feature being consistently ignored, if someone did actually got it to work...

two possibilities:
a) buy a hdd that draws less power upon spinup
b) try to make your own "external" power source from maybe one or two 18650 Li-Ion batteries and a dc/dc-converter. Make that provide power to your hdd and only connect the data-leads to your xoom. Might work, but ask someone who really knows about this stuff before frying your hd/xoom/car/etc.

llama-power said:
two possibilities:
a) buy a hdd that draws less power upon spinup
I´d love to! But I´d like to know beforehand if it works, before I spend my money. Do you happen to know which brands/models draw the least amount of power??
b) try to make your own "external" power source from maybe one or two 18650 Li-Ion batteries and a dc/dc-converter. Make that provide power to your hdd and only connect the data-leads to your xoom. Might work, but ask someone who really knows about this stuff before frying your hd/xoom/car/etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have no idea how to do this, and I don´t know anyone who has done it. The possibility of "frying" my brand new device doesn´t sound too enticing, either. On top of that, the idea of lugging around even more cables/devices to power the Xoom up makes the whole idea of the tablet less than ideal, for my needs. I rather purchase that one "good" HD, if such a thing exists...

IT WORKED!
I´m going to be writing a new post about it, so people can find it more easily.
Stay tuned!
Here it is:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1535829