iGo ThinkPad Bluetooth Keyboard (Got it Working on HTC Evo!) - EVO 4G Themes and Apps

First, our apologies if this is posted elsewhere, or if this post should not be in this section.
I really didn't want to have to go and spend another $100 on the freedom bluetooth keyboard, my iGo Thinkpad Bluetooth keyboard had been faithful to me since my BB 8830 days. When iGo discontinued the product in early 2007, there were no more driver updates even for WM6; that also meant no support for Android devices. Knowing that, the only recourse I had was to buy another keyboard. I didn't want to, so after some searching, I found an app that made my old trusty iGo keyboard work, seemingly flawlessly thus far.
The app, Teksoft BlueInput is the answer. It makes the Evo use the HID bluetooth required to pair the keyboard with the EVO. Don't be fooled by the negative reviews in the market, if you know how to toggle your input method, you will get the desired effect. Now, the free app lets you see as far if your phone is compatible with the software, after 200 keystrokes it will start to insert the annoying tag [blueinput method] everywhere you type. Being a writer, I can't have that riddled throughout my text, so I bit the bullet and paid the $14.60 (9.95 Euros) for the registered version. It was either that or pay $100 for a Freedom keyboard. Quite the deal huh? It is in the market but you have to purchase it through the website.
I've tested it and so far I've noticed no battery drain, (my husband and I are both running CM7) the feedback is flawless. I've been using it for about thirty minutes andd haven't quite figured out how to get the number functionality to work, but I had the same issue on my tp2 so it isn't the software (app). If there are more hiccups I will post, but right now, this seems to be the answer for me.
Hope that helps someone out there.

Thanks for the update. Although, in the past, I have used the exact setup perfectly without Teksoft blueinput on CM6. CM7 (AOSP) should have the HID profile built in the BT stack so you should've been just able to pair and connect without the addt'l app.
I appreciate you sharing your find, but for others, I would suggest you try to setup your HID keyboard normally before you try other software to make it work.

breezer260 said:
Thanks for the update. Although, in the past, I have used the exact setup perfectly without Teksoft blueinput on CM6. CM7 (AOSP) should have the HID profile built in the BT stack so you should've been just able to pair and connect without the addt'l app.
I appreciate you sharing your find, but for others, I would suggest you try to setup your HID keyboard normally before you try other software to make it work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you, I appreciate that. Unfortunately for me, and it could be just user error on my end, I could not get it to specifically pair with the device using the normal method. Again, it could have been just a *duh* on my end. Thanks though I think that will help others greatly.

Related

Any BT gamepad and keyboard?

Will I be able to use a BT keyboard or gamepad with my
desire?
Read about it at the N1 forum but its seamd to be a bít of a bother
to get it to work.
Is there a HID inbuilt in the Desire or do I need an app?
What I want to be able to do is to write long documents with the keyboard and play games useing an emulator and a gamepad.
I understand that the Freedom Universal 2 should work on the Desire with (not free) an app from the Android market place (search using "bluetooth keyboard"). I have ordered this keyboard as soon I manage to test it I will post results.
Sounds wonderful.
Im looking forward to your review.
Regarding the gamepad:
http://www.mymobilegear.com/showthread.php?p=17452
I'm also interested in whether a bluetooth keyboard will work. I'm getting an Apple Bluetooth mini keyboard soon, which should be nice to use at times when I'm away and need to type some long emails
I have a noname BT keyboard that works out of the box with windows mobile. With Android, the keyboard can be paired with the Desire, but it seems that no key input services are available in the Desire BT implementation. I understand that there is a BT driver floating around that could fix this issue. If I find the solution, I will post an update.
Bad news my Freedom Pro keyboard does not seem to work with the KeyPro app, the only app in the Android market as far as I know that provides drivers for BT keyboards. I have left a message on the mymobilegear.com forum so hopefully the developer will respond sson.
There is another driver/app: blueinput. I cannot get it working but you can try your luck.
Unfortunately the teksoft BT driver does not work either - major problem after a rebooted I found I could not enter my passpword and therefore had to do perform a hard reset! You have been warned (look here: http://www.teksoftco.com/index.php?section=blueinputandroid&tab=download)
what a shame.
thanks for your tries and i would love to use an external bt keyboard too.
i will try to find a cheap / second hand bt keyboard to test around
With Blueinput and KeyPro I think the issue is that they cannot work with the BT on the Desire. I have left messages on the developer forums but no feedback yet. Blueinput, if it worked, would be very promising as it should work with most HID keyboard (iGo, Stowaway etc).
Seams as if the kayboard have to be a SPP kayboard.
Not HID.
Freedom is working on a driver for android for their own Freedom
series keyboards.
Would be great to hear news about this.
Ethania said:
Will I be able to use a BT keyboard or gamepad with my
desire?
Read about it at the N1 forum but its seamd to be a bít of a bother
to get it to work.
Is there a HID inbuilt in the Desire or do I need an app?
What I want to be able to do is to write long documents with the keyboard and play games useing an emulator and a gamepad.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Save yourself for a wii remote. they (xda) will have it working with Desire soon if not already. Do a search and you'll find more details
agent.m said:
Save yourself for a wii remote. they (xda) will have it working with Desire soon if not already. Do a search and you'll find more details
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have been looking into this aswell. Im following the Wii-project
closely. But I also think a BT keyboard would be great.
Just got "documents to go" and a keyboard would make writing
much smoother.
Freedom Universal 2 looks relly good, since the Freedom Pro is a bit too
large.
Apparently these sorts of bluetooth apps don't work with Sense-enabled phones.
Not sure if flashing a non-Sense rom would fix it, but then the CM Rom doesn't have working bluetooth anyway.
think there was a modaco rom that worked with wii remote. not sure about othe r bluetooth stuff
Hey guys, has anyone found a Playstation-style bluetooth gamepad that works with CyanogenMod's Bluetooth HID implementation? I've already tried playing SNESoid with my Freedom Universal bluetooth keyboard, and while it works, it's obviously not as nice as with an actual gamepad. Any suggestions?

[APP]Bluetooth Keyboard Easy Connect

Hi guys,
I was frustrated to find out that I was not able to connect my newly bought bluetooth keyboard. I could pair it within Bluetooth settings, but it always shows "Paired but not connected".
Even more frustrating is that the developers of apps which allow for a working connection to the keyboard are asking around 10 USD for the app.
I don't care about any features like shortcut keys and such. I just need a connected keyboard.
I decided to write an app which exactly does just this. For free, as it should be!
Description
-------------
A service which connects your bluetooth keyboard device.
Android 2.3 has support for HID devices but is not able to connect bluetooth keyboard devices correctly (yet).
This service automates the connection to your keyboard.
There are no extra features like key mappings a.s. (yet)
WARNING
---------------
This application needs superuser permissions!
You can find this app in Google Market. Search for "easyconnect"
BTW If anyone finds any bugs, or inability to connect a certain device, please let me know the details and I will work on a fix.
Thanx for sending logs, I fixed a number of issues:
- No longer scanning every 15 seconds. Instead it monitors connection state.
- Connection now is event driven. Device nearby will connect it.
- added notification of device connection
- Preventing Android from closing the service after a certain time.
Keep sending bug reports guys!
Compatible keyboard devices (from user comments):
- iGo Stowaway XTBT01
- CVDH-A66 Mini Bluetooth Keyboard for Smartphones, iPad, iPhone, PS3, More
- Apple Bluetooth keyboard
- Freedom i-Connex Mini
- Broadcom Keyboard Device (German keyboard with annoyingly positioned connect button which needs a toothpick to be pressed)
Latest update:
Finally got some time to work on stability.
Let me know if you have troubles getting it to work for you.
Working on keymaps ;-) as well
Fixed a FC on startup after installation
Greetz,
Mike
Wow this is perfect! Thanks so much!
Previously I had a shortcut to bluetooth settings on my home screen to try and connect as quick as possible, but this is 50 times better. I don't have to enter any stupid pins and make sure I press the pairing button at the right time.
I did have one little hang and lag which finished with a force close. But all good nonetheless.
I'm using a mini bluetooth keyboard with a N1 running CM6.1.1 btw which I typed this message with.
5 stars on the market
Edit: Wait, so as long as you're using this app, you dont need a ROM that supports Bluetooth HID devices? As long as your phone is rooted, anyone can use this?
If so, hats off to you.
For as far as I can see anyone can use this, because in a way, the bluetooth stack is actually available for Human Interface Devices in Android starting at 2.1 update 1 if I'm correct.
mikesomething98 said:
For as far as I can see anyone can use this, because in a way, the bluetooth stack is actually available for Human Interface Devices in Android starting at 2.1 update 1 if I'm correct.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah but i experienced something different. I just got my phone from a Samsung Repair center because i kinda bricked it while upgrading to froyo so i had them upgrade it. Since i was already in a mall, i decided to visit a powermac store to try out the apple bluetooth keyboard that is reported to be working with the Galaxy S froyo update. Unfortunately i was not able to detect the bluetooth keyboard, and made a fool of myself because the apple guy that was assisting me didn't believe at first that a mobile phone was able to use a bluetooth keyboard (yeah, he didn't know that the iphone 4 that they were selling was compatible with the bluetooth keyboard.. i didn't tell him though..)
so maybe this app might work.. im going to try it out when i return to that powermac store..
The code is there, but it's not complete. It doesn't connect hid devices by itself yet. My app takes care of that. good luck trying it.
I noticed some bug already, so there will be an update very soon.
I can't find this app on the marketplace when i search for easyconnect, how did you guys find it..?
Edit.,
Found it here., www appbrain.com/app/bluetooth-keyboard-easyconnect/net.mybesttools.btkbservice
Does this with with a Sense phone too?
thanks
This is phenomenal! Thanks so much. Using with a iGo/ThinkOutside Stowaway ultra-slim keyboard and it works great. I've used BlueKeyboard, but it has a number of issues: frequent force-close errors, easily-accidentally-triggered switches into Japanese mode. This is much easier and more reliable! Thank you!
Thanks its great
Thanks! But should really be supported by default in android and without root! Hopefully google will fix this in a new version of android.
hejhej.ac said:
Thanks! But should really be supported by default in android and without root! Hopefully google will fix this in a new version of android.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Vary ture.
I can't find it on the market ? Does it not work on 2.1?
Sent from my ComBadge
You'll have to test it to find out. ;-)
Latest update v0.3 :
- no longer scanning for bluetooth devices. Instead it checks for connectivity with the pheripheral device directly trough a socket connection.
mikesomething98 said:
,
I could pair it within Bluetooth settings, but it always shows "Paired but not connected".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
Will this work with any Bluetooth device? I have the exact same problem with my cars head unit.
In Froyo it will connect if I either go into the bluetooth settings and press on the connection or if I turn bluetooth off and on.
In Gingerbread its the same as Froyo except for added annoyance it asks for the pin each time.
Thanks
Edit: Just tried it and it doesnt work, would it be hard to make a version for phone / media profiles?
A device as such is not a Human Input Device. As you can see A2DP is supported starting at cupcake. http://source.android.com/porting/bluetooth.html
If you want the ability to wirelessly stream music, the head unit must support Bluetooth A2DP. Currently, the majority of Bluetooth car stereos only support the Handsfree profile, which only allows you to make and receive phone calls via the head unit.
This post might be of help:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=649059
It will not come up in the Market
That's all i get when i search for "Easyconnect"
A quote from Android Developers:
How Filters Work in Android Market
Android Market uses the filter restrictions described below to determine whether to show your application to a user who is browsing or searching for applications on a given device. When determining whether to display your app, Market checks the device's hardware and software capabilities, as well as it's carrier, location, and other characteristics. It then compares those against the restrictions and dependencies expressed by the application itself, in its manifest, .apk, and publishing details. If the application is compatible with the device according to the filter rules, Market displays the application to the user. Otherwise, Market hides your application from search results and category browsing.
You can use the filters described below to control whether Market shows or hides your application to users. You can request any combination of the available filters for your app — for example, you could set a minSdkVersion requirement of "4" and set smallScreens="false" in the app, then when uploading the app to Market you could target European countries (carriers) only. Android Market's filters would prevent the application from being visible on any device that did not match all three of these requirements.
A filtered app is not visible within Market, even if a user specifically requests the app by clicking a deep link that points directly to the app's ID within Market. All filtering restrictions are associated with an application's version and can change between versions. For example:
•If you publish a new version of your app with stricter restrictions, the app will not be visible to users for whom it is filtered, even if those users were able see the previous version.
•If a user has installed your application and you publish an upgrade that makes the app invisible to the user, the user will not see that an upgrade is available. So it means you have a device with a Android version which is not compatible.
I could lower the minimum version for you so you can at least try the app.
I cannot lower it any further then SDK version 5 because it lacks some needed functionality in the bluez stack.
I found this on appbrain and i see it says android 2.2 and up.
My Samsung Galaxy S Epic is running a stock 2.1 rom. Thanks for the offer but that's totally up to you if you want to let the app on to all the 2.1 phones. It just sounds cool and something useful to have installed. I don't have a bluetooth keyboard
mikesomething98 said:
If you want the ability to wirelessly stream music, the head unit must support Bluetooth A2DP. Currently, the majority of Bluetooth car stereos only support the Handsfree profile, which only allows you to make and receive phone calls via the head unit.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for replying, my head unit does support A2DP and it works fine once I manually initiate a connection. The problem is it doesn't connect automatically the same way your Bluetooth keyboard doesn't connect on its own.
[Updated version available]
Guys,
I just upped v0.5. Let me know your experiences.
The minSDK version is lowered to make it available to android versions 2.0 and up. I was not able to test that, so please let me know if it does/doesn't.
It doesn't seem to be working for me anymore.
The first version worked but drained battery like crazy.
With the newest version from the market, I turn BT on, put keyboard into discoverable and nothing happens.
0.1 would connect after both those steps...

[Q] Anybody replace their desk/laptop with a Xoom?

Hey all,
I'm looking into the possibility of using my Xoom as my daily computer and making a current PC more of a home theater setup in the living room. I don't do anything heavy on the computer (besides occasionally gaming but no big deal) it's all mostly web browsing, IMing, Facebook, etc, so I don't see too much of a reason why I couldn't do this.
My question is this: Have any of you done it? Made the switch from the PC (or mac) being your primary computer to the Xoom? If so, thoughts? Anything to pay attention to? If I do go through with this, I will end up getting a bluetooth keyboard and mouse, I'm sure... but I'd rather not waste 100 bucks on something I end up not using often.
i use my laptop just to root my xoom =)
Anything I should pay attention to, or an accessory that will make a huge difference or anything? Besides the bluetooth keyboard/mouse, obviously.
thank you for the reply, but I already have a xoom... just trying to decide if it is feasible to use as an everyday computer.
Advise Only
This thread and the linked thread reminds me of the discussions an older man like myself would have with so called computer sales persons. If I'd listened to all their talk about specs and hardware I'd owned a missile launcher capable of high end mathematical computations !
What I'm saying is my advise is to list your requirements and expectations first. Look at the specs and hardware and decide what you'll need.
I am a retired engineer and I spend most of my time on my Xoom. A properly installed version of ICS, personally like EOS, I have NO problems surfing, emailing, playing some games and yes I even break out a spreadsheet once in a while.
Yes there are netbooks and laptops that can offer more...just be sure to aim those missiles correctly!!
TheRandom1 said:
thank you for the reply, but I already have a xoom... just trying to decide if it is feasible to use as an everyday computer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow, there was no need for AngryBulleteyeTruth to be so negative. I makes me wonder why he is even lurking the xoom forum if it is no use to him. Anyway.
I use my xoom more than I use my laptop and desktop. It Is wonderful for Im/text, typing documents to later be altered on a laptop/desktop, some games and media. I use my xoom everyday. The battery life is also great. Yes the document editing isn't on par with desktop suites but is an android tablet, not a laptop. The simplicity comes with its drawbacks but the portability, battery and ease of use is unmatched.
Also if you really need to run desktop quality apps you can just use an app like pocketcloud or splashtop hd to vnc into your laptop/desktop and do what you must. The internal 32gb + a 16gb micro sD card is more than enough room for me. You also have cloud storage available. There is even a app called pocketcloud explorer that will allow you to download and upload files remotely from your machines, with the addition of their companion software. AngryBulleteyeTruth just lacks creativity and the will to find a solution. Don't let his negativity drag you down. Also take a look at when he joined. Feb 2012 means he is fairly new to the community and possibly butt hurt by his unrealistic dream of his xoom transforming into a tiny robot and being his sidekick didn't work out as planned.
I love my xoom! With Team EOS nightlys + undervolting + some simple but useful apps to automate certain task at certain locations = WIN for me. I have a 4g xoom so I can pop my sim card from my HTC thunderbolt in there and use all of that unlimited data. Or tether via Bluetooth if I am on the go.
My uses also include: gps, scanning/PDFing documents on the fly, video chat, voip, portable netflix/media play w/ my micro hdmi cable, getting my fix on reddit, sexytime material and more. People are working hard and doing great things with this device. There will also be more to come. The device is an awesome tool but but you can't expect Apple like commercials that spoon feed what you can use it for.
Tips: checkout androidpolice.com and droid-life.com for explanations, news, reviews, tips and tweaks. Lifehacker also has some good android stuff from time to time. I use justreader to subscribe to the rss feeds.
Search YouTube for useful tablet apps.
Check out the Themes and Apps forum sections for other popular android tablets on XDA. I use tapatalk to subscribe to the Samsung galaxy tab 10.1, Asus prime, Asus transformer and nook color Themes and Apps sections.
Finally share your discoveries and leave constructive comments on XDA. This keeps the community going, makes you feel involved and spread the knowledge to others in your situation.
May you and your xoom find happiness.
AngryBulleteyeTruth said:
Did you write it on a xoom or on a netbook?
Just imagine my 50+ tabs on opera working on any xoom browser, and making my 5+ pages documents on it
...not ignoring the embeded video browsing other than you tube
runhopskipjump - I'm not ashamed of being disappointed. That's the point.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wrote on a xoom with swiftkeys while eating some carrot cake if you must know. I currently have 23 tabs open in opera from looking at reddit links that I would get back to later. And a couple more in chrome because I am downloading some music from beemp3 and prefer that the native download manager handles it. Yes I have typed 5+ pages with and without a Bluetooth keyboard on Docs to Go. My grammar isn't that shyty that I would require a stronger office suite to highlight the crap out of my paragraphs. You can always embed media at a later point or vnc into a desktop to complete the task as desired.
I hated netbooks. But that is not the point. The OP asked if it was viable to use the Xoom as his main device, not his only device. Yet you saw it fit to run your mouth, blabbering about your opinion, disappointment and flawed understanding of what the device is meant to achieve. I hope this exchange between us will be our last because I am not hear to convince you. You have made it clear that you aren't ashamed by your crys for attention using BOLD red font, linking to your own poorly placed Microsoft Dic-Riding thoughts on another thread and your clear inability to find a solution.
On Ice Cream Sandwich, this machine is a powerhouse. If you can't hang, Get Out. Good day sir/madam.
I feel dirty... like I am standing in the middle of a p***in match.
For what it is worth, I ordered a keyboard today and turned off my monitor to my computer to test this. I installed an rdc app on the xoom, and have done everything on it since I got home. So far, so good. I have a desktop at work I can work with if needed, however, I really do only use my computer for email, web browsing chatting, Facebook and other similar very light duty things. I honestly don't care if i can keep 30 tabs open...because I dont do it anyways. Same for documents. With a keyboard, it should be pretty easy, but I am not in school and do not type long essays, so it doesn't matter. If I have something super long to post, I have other options.
And yes... I typed this post on the xoom. It is on its dock in front of me, and I am using the hunt and peck method of typing on the on screen keyboard.
TheRandom1 said:
I feel dirty... like I am standing in the middle of a p***in match.
For what it is worth, I ordered a keyboard today and turned off my monitor to my computer to test this. I installed an rdc app on the xoom, and have done everything on it since I got home. So far, so good. I have a desktop at work I can work with if needed, however, I really do only use my computer for email, web browsing chatting, Facebook and other similar very light duty things. I honestly don't care if i can keep 30 tabs open...because I dont do it anyways. Same for documents. With a keyboard, it should be pretty easy, but I am not in school and do not type long essays, so it doesn't matter. If I have something super long to post, I have other options.
And yes... I typed this post on the xoom. It is on its dock in front of me, and I am using the hunt and peck method of typing on the on screen keyboard.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Avert your eyes my child from the darkness and bickering that may arise on these public forums. Lol.
May I suggest that you invest some coin in Swiftkeys Tablet X, Thumb Keyboard and Swype to have a more pleasant on screen experience. You won't regret it.
Also I use Keyboard Manager (only like $1) to automatically change keyboard when you switch from landscape to portrait and back. Swiftkeys Tablet X has a pretty good prediction/auto-correct function but I don't like the way it is displayed in portrait mode. Thumb Keyboard has a better layout (i use it in portrait mode) but the prediction/auto-correct isn't even close to Swiftkeys Tablet X. And Swype is free so why not try it. My experience with the stock keyboard is a dreadful one. All three are worth getting and are a wonderful investment.
Cheers.
I use my Xoom probably 90% of the time when I'm at home. Occasionally I will sit down and use my desktop for other stuff - BUT I already had a desktop at the time I bought my Xoom. If something must to happen to my desktop, I seriously doubt I would replace it. There is an app out there for practically everything now with a little time spent setting the Xoom up like I wanted it, it has almost replaced my desktop (and at some point it will probably replace it). I work in IT on a daily basis and I'm a power user and I'm very impressed with Android and what it can do.
OK then... time to ignore the obvious troll.
Anybody else have an opinion on this?
What Troll?
Looks like I owe you some thanks Andy!
That's what were here for.
Every device forum has them. We just need to keep an eye on them.
sold my netbook and kindle and ipod when i got the Xoom!
Well, I got the keyboard in today and it is awesome... when it works. For some reason keys keep randomly not working, specifically the r, l, g' z and backspace keys. Anybody else ever have this issue?
TheRandom1 said:
Well, I got the keyboard in today and it is awesome... when it works. For some reason keys keep randomly not working, specifically the r, l, g' z and backspace keys. Anybody else ever have this issue?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What ROM are you running? I had this issue in the stock honeycomb ROM with an apple keyboard. I no longer have such issues on team EOS ICS nightlys.
Tip: swiftkeys Tablet X work great with an external keyboard. I say this because when an external keyboard is present, swiftkeys Tablet X only displays the predictions and auto corrections. Hitting the space bar selects the highlighted word. Is is very convenient and not something people speak of.
I haven't rooted yet, still on stock honeycomb
TheRandom1 said:
I haven't rooted yet, still on stock honeycomb
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Take some time to root it. Trust me, it is worth it. It opens up a whole new world of possibilities. Backing up apps, settings and game saves with titanium backup is so awesome. Android police has a wonderful set of articles about rooting, why you should do it and essential apps for rooted devices. Droid-life and lifehacker have some articles and pieces on the topic as well. Team EOS ICS nightlys are also one of the most up to date roms I have ever encountered. Rooting is even easier with tools like xoot and cornea, which will take you through the steps with a couple of clicks. I personally haven't tried those methods since I was rooted before they came out but others have been successful with them.
I will probably do that today just to see if the keyboard works better, it's so incredibly frustrating to only be able to type half a word! Hm... maybe I should root my Revo...again...

Use your Xperia Play as a game controller for your tablet!

https://market.android.com/details?...wxLDEsImNvbS50b3VybmVzb2wudGFibGV0cmVtb3RlIl0
I'm gonna try this tonight! Anyone else use it? It has specific settings for the Xperia Play....
I dont think the physical buttons work.
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF300T using XDA
KindaUndisputed said:
I dont think the physical buttons work.
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF300T using XDA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They don't seem to you're right. it looks like it emulates the Xperia play using the touch screen.... Damn
Could someone try contacting the developer? I think I've already tried...
Sent from my R800i using XDA
Wouldve been nice.. I need a gamepad for my tablet, About to buy that onlive universal controller.
Funny, I'm looking for the same thing.
Is there nothing out there that can do this?
Hope no one minds if I bring this thread back - I've been looking around for solutions for this (even before this thread) and stumbled upon androdhid a while back, but I still haven't tried it out:
http://code.google.com/p/androhid/
I more recently found android-bluetooth-touchpad and actually gave it a try:
http://code.google.com/p/android-bluetooth-touchpad/
I couldn't get it to work with Windows, but maybe I was doing something wrong or maybe they were running into the same problems that androhid ran into (they talk about it here: http://code.google.com/p/androhid/wiki/AndroHid ), but I did get it to work with my Android tablet and was able to use it to move the mouse pointer around and click, but the keyboard feature didn't seem to work very well. In contrast, androhid claims to provide a working keyboard, but no mouse support due to technical hurdles, although a commenter mentioned he had extended it to get mouse support working (I tried contacting him, but no response).
So anyway, we have here two at least somewhat working solutions that at least work with Linux/Android, if not Windows. And they're open source.
How interested would ya'll be in adapting these into something with the Xperia Play in mind, so you can use your Xperia Play as a bluetooth gamepad compatible with Linux/Android tablets? (and also as a mouse/keyboard) I may try and work on this if I can find/make the time. It'd be nice to get it working with Windows too, but that might be further off. Or if someone else wants to spearhead it, I'd be willing to help as I'm able. I'm not promising I'll have much time for this any time soon though, but it hopefully shouldn't be too hard.
Or does anybody already have some other good solutions for this? Seems like the solutions I've seen either aren't very good, or rely on custom software on both sides of the connection (both a client and a server, whereas by following the HID standard, you only need custom software on one side-use app on the phone and connect to any android tablet with bluetooth hid support, which most ICS and beyond tablets will and maybe some Gingerbread).
Further down the road I'd even like to get USB HID working, but I'm pretty sure that would require kernel-level development. (ie connect your phone via USB and it acts as a USB controller too)
EDIT: Or maybe I necro'ed the wrong thread, but not sure this one had any good answers either:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1730561
~Troop
If it helps, such an app would be relatively easy to make for the buttons and dpad but not the touch pad.
The problem is no one had any incentive to do it.
It would be awesome if the maker of TabletRemote would implement it, he already took care of all the grunt work (nice ui, register each other, settings, etc.)
I made a proof of concept app in a few hours and it worked just fine.
I don't know what the point if this post is.
Sent from my R800x using xda app-developers app
Tablet Remote + GameKeyboard = EPIC WIN !
I can use my Xperia Play gamepad as a bluetooth gamepad for my new Nexus 7 and it works perfectly !
Use Tablet Remote for bluetooth remote control, use GameKeyboard to map physical buttons to touch events and you're done !
(However I think GameKeyboard needs root access ...)
hatcyl said:
If it helps, such an app would be relatively easy to make for the buttons and dpad but not the touch pad.
The problem is no one had any incentive to do it.
It would be awesome if the maker of TabletRemote would implement it, he already took care of all the grunt work (nice ui, register each other, settings, etc.)
I made a proof of concept app in a few hours and it worked just fine.
I don't know what the point if this post is.
Sent from my R800x using xda app-developers app
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I was really just hoping to stir up some interest to motivate me to actually do some Android development. I'd like to spend some time doing Android development, but I rarely have the motivation since I do enough programming as my full-time job and tend to want to relax and do other things when not at work.
You're right, it seems like there isn't that much incentive for this, so it would be nice if developers who already have apps that are so close to what we're talking about to extend their solutions to cover this.
injection18 said:
Tablet Remote + GameKeyboard = EPIC WIN !
I can use my Xperia Play gamepad as a bluetooth gamepad for my new Nexus 7 and it works perfectly !
Use Tablet Remote for bluetooth remote control, use GameKeyboard to map physical buttons to touch events and you're done !
(However I think GameKeyboard needs root access ...)
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Click to collapse
Good to know that that combination works out, even if it is a bit roundabout! Shows that having a workable solution matters more to users than following standards. (EDIT: And I don't mean that in a negative way, I'm just saying getting something working is what's most important, worrying about following standards and implementation details is something programmers worry more about than users)
~Troop
injection18 said:
Tablet Remote + GameKeyboard = EPIC WIN !
I can use my Xperia Play gamepad as a bluetooth gamepad for my new Nexus 7 and it works perfectly !
Use Tablet Remote for bluetooth remote control, use GameKeyboard to map physical buttons to touch events and you're done !
(However I think GameKeyboard needs root access ...)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In fact it works, but you can't press some buttons at the same time ... so I must find an other solution ...
There should be an app that allows to use the Xperia Play as a gamepad on PC. I thinks it's an idea that would completely rock.
I think you can do that already. Just acts as a HID.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=app.pcon&hl=en here ya go. Think thats the one.
Miles Wolf said:
There should be an app that allows to use the Xperia Play as a gamepad on PC. I thinks it's an idea that would completely rock.
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Yeah, I would like that eventually too. Unfortunately, that's more difficult to do, at least as a true HID device... both the androhid and bluetooth touchpad projects I mentioned ran into a roadblock trying to work with a Windows host (because they don't quite emulate a true/full HID device, just almost, which is "good enough" for Linux). Connecting to Linux distributions which use the Bluez bluetooth stack is very doable, however. Maybe it'll be possible to modify/recompile the Android Bluez bluetooth stack to overcome this, but that makes it much more challenging and puts it further off.
There might be other strategies involving custom driver software on the PC to make it work though that would be easier. (The advantage of operating to the HID standard is that it works with PCs/tablets/phones out of the box without special drivers/software on the host)
Do go watch the demo linked to on the page below, he uses his app in gamepad mode to control a mario-like game running on Linux:
http://code.google.com/p/android-bluetooth-touchpad/
EDIT: Or guess the non-HID solution already exists as Mysticales pointed out above. Note that it is likely not truely emulating a HID device since it requires Java software on the PC. Still, it should get the job done!
~Troop
I just managed to use my Xperia Play as a controller via wifi for my PC and it works WONDERFULLY!
Heres what i did
downloaded and install this :
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=app.pcon&hl=en&rdid=app.pcon&rdot=1
you also need to download the PC client for it to work
Theres a Xperia play mode included but its awful , some buttons dont work and the X button fails to register after using the dpad.
So what i did was use Joypad 1 (the one with the on screen controls)
And used GameKeyboard with a 6 button controller.
End results? it worked perfectly.

App to control tablet with phone as mouse?

What I'm looking for is for an app that lets me use my phone as a mouse to control my tablet. Thing is it has to be over the internet and not wi-fi.
Think of an app that works like blueputdroid but connects like tablet remote, does something like that exist?
Tablet Remote would work in most cases, but I'm mainly trying to navigate game menus with my phone, since although many games support a gamepad for some reason developers never thought about controlling menus with it too. And I can't use bluetooth cause sense roms have a borked bluetooth stack, and AOSP roms have terrible battery life in comparison.
Refreshing this topic....
I'm pulling this post back to the top now
I'm also looking for an app like this. That can't be that hard to program.
Why did no admin answer to his question?
It really would be nice if someone could help us out. Thanks
m-rssp said:
I'm pulling this post back to the top now
I'm also looking for an app like this. That can't be that hard to program.
Why did no admin answer to his question?
It really would be nice if someone could help us out. Thanks
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Apparently teamviewer has this ability now.

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