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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 $$$) to provide an input from +12V signal from your reverse light wire to automatically open the camera app, then close the app. Of course, you'd have to program for that.
Or
Have you considered this touch screen? Lilliput 7" touch screen with auto-reverse input. (Needs a RCA camera though)
http://store.mp3car.com/Lilliput_629GL_70NP_C_T_7_VGA_Touchscreen_w_Aut_p/MON-016-0002.htm
This is the one I plan on using since it switches automatically to the camera input whenever you are in reverse. Once you go back to any other gear, the OS input shows up again.
Just a thought to make life a little more convenient (although you already bought your parts so you may be stuck.)
chjade84 said:
Very cool!
I've been wanting to do this for a while, but I was going to use MeeGo or maybe Moblin since I don't have the programming skills (or Android knowledge for that matter) to build my own computer around Android. I dig what you got so far though.
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Thanks a lot! It needs a lot of time and dedication but it's a real good learning curve. I had to learn a lot of things on the way.. especially c/c++ I wasn't great at but had decent skills with higher level programming.
If you are planning to work with MeeGo its a little fussy with the hardware requirements.. Correct me if i'm wrong, but I think you need an Intel Atom processor. These are a little pricey if you're after an evaluation/hackable kit! But I'd imagine it'll be easier to program as it's a lot more closey coupled with linux.
chjade84 said:
My suggestion for the reverse camera is one of two things, because it would bug me to have to find and open the camera app every time I needed to back up.
Keep your touchscreen (what model are you using BTW?) and use a bluetooth or wi-fi relay (I know they make 'em, but they are $$$) 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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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..
Does anyone know if Verizon will be allowing us to get a tablet with a phone number? I'm not up for a new phone for a couple of months yet (I've got the HTC DINC) but I think that it would be nice to just get a tablet in place of a new phone but still be able to make calls from it.
tablets arnt made for calling people.
Technically it should be possible to make calls on a tablet since they obv have speakers and also a mic (currently used for voice recording) but i dont know if anybody has found a method for it yet. The only problem with having a tablet for a phone would be that it is too big to be mobile (like fitting in a pocket) and idk if they have ringtones or notifications so youd have to use an app that does an led notification on the screen which would be a problem since youd never hear it when you are getting a call. It just does not sound practical at this time, IMHO. P.S. sorry for the wall of text
I completely agree with the portable argument because most people would want to be able to carry their phone easily, but I have a bag with my 95% of the time and don't think that I would mind carrying it the other times. It just feels like I'm going back to the times of carrying my cell phone and my ipod and now it's going to be my cell phone and my tablet.
I didn't even think about the technical aspect. I figured with Ice Cream Sandwich and the convergence of the phone and table distros it wouldn't be a software issue.
Thanks for the reply.
Do tablets have all the needed hardware to work as a phone in a GSM-Network?
I know that many tablets have a simcard slot but thats for mobile internet.
I just assumed that if they could do 3g/4g the could do data too. It doesn't sound like it should be too difficult to do, but maybe it is on purpose to keep people buying multiple device.
T-Reb said:
I just assumed that if they could do 3g/4g the could do data too. It doesn't sound like it should be too difficult to do, but maybe it is on purpose to keep people buying multiple device.
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exactly. I activate data plans at work for tablets all day. They have to reserve a phone number. Often, they have 0 minute voice allowances but unlimited texting (wtf?)
Bought this battery from a reseller around here and I wanted to know whether i just gave up nfc for an increase in battery life? Also please explain why does nfc require a special battery? Why can't it just be a microchip emitting signal integrated in the phone?
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/270899338893?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649
I would assume so, but if you did, that seems like a pretty good trade. NFC is a dumb gimmick anyway, and I don't really trust the tech with my credit card/banking info given that mere proximity is enough to read it. I would never use NFC.
Frogacuda said:
I would assume so, but if you did, that seems like a pretty good trade. NFC is a dumb gimmick anyway, and I don't really trust the tech with my credit card/banking info given that mere proximity is enough to read it. I would never use NFC.
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Click to collapse
Very short sighted it is as much as gimmick as Interac is.
I can not remember the last time I used cash, and why bother when all I need in my bank card and PIN.
Me I live in the 21th Century and I rather take advantage of it than wear my tin foil hat..... worry about everybody out to rip me off.
Who said anything about cash? My cards work fine.
But people can put an NFC reader in a bag and bump into your pocket on the subway. It's really not a particularly secure bit of tech, and it's also not a significantly more convenient thing than swiping a credit card.
Who cares what you think or dont think about NFC, please stick to the subject. Why do we need a special battery for NFC? Is it because the chip is in the battery?
Yes, basically it's a small, flat chip embedded under the sticker label on the skyrocket's battery. I think it works kind of like those security tags they put on books and DVDs.
Someone more knowledgeable than I might be able to tell you if it'd be possible to move that to the new battery.
Soon as NFC catches fire..IF it does.. Then you will be able to purchase mirochip stickies that you can cement on anything you can imagine.
From what I have read on many online searches the battery does not have the NFC circuitry. The battery only houses the NFC short distance antenna, which accounts for the 4th contact on the battery.
gdmuscle said:
From what I have read on many online searches the battery does not have the NFC circuitry. The battery only houses the NFC short distance antenna, which accounts for the 4th contact on the battery.
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Surely the Chinese battery manufacturers will catch on and we will see cheapo batteries with NFC antennae soon enough. But I agree with others here, NFC sounds like a gimmick and a security risk to me at this point. How strong is the crypto on this technology? It better be pretty damned secure or I will deliberately purchase one of these NON-NFC batteries for my next phone, lol.
gdmuscle said:
From what I have read on many online searches the battery does not have the NFC circuitry. The battery only houses the NFC short distance antenna, which accounts for the 4th contact on the battery.
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That information is incorrect. Read around people here on the forums have NFC working. **Edit, I misunderstood you. Yes the battery houses the antenna, and the phone has the other parts of the circuity, but without the antenna NFC is useless.
And for those of you who think its a gimmick take a look at what one user here is doing with it:
cdshepherd said:
A quick example. I have a nfc tag sitting on my nightstand. At night when I go to bed I set my phone on the tag. It automatically turns my wifi off, turns my alarm on, and turns the night mode clock on. Its really neat stuff. Paying with NFC (which we can't do yet) is only scratching the surface when it comes to this technology. If your interested more Google search it. There is tons of stuff.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using xda premium
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polish_pat said:
Bought this battery from a reseller around here and I wanted to know whether i just gave up nfc for an increase in battery life? Also please explain why does nfc require a special battery? Why can't it just be a microchip emitting signal integrated in the phone?
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/270899338893?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649
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Click to collapse
The reason why it isn't in the phone is because NFC has an operating range of 4 cm, your phone is already almost 1 cm thick, some people put those horrible otterbox cases on which another 1 cm thick, throw in interference and having that antenna inside the phone rather than the edge of the phone makes it almost useless. This is why the antenna is on the battery, will they move it to inside phone? Probably, but they would have to increase the throughput of the signal which would increase range but that would decrease security.
Frogacuda said:
Who said anything about cash? My cards work fine.
But people can put an NFC reader in a bag and bump into your pocket on the subway. It's really not a particularly secure bit of tech, and it's also not a significantly more convenient thing than swiping a credit card.
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Click to collapse
That wouldnt really work. Google Wallet has a PIN, so even if someone had some kind of NFC device in their bag, they wouldnt be able to extract money because you'd have to manually enter your PIN before the transfer would go through.
On top of that, you need to be really close for NFC to work. Like the phone has to be basically touching the reader. IIRC, for mobile phones, 4 centimeters is the distance the phone can be from the reader. On top of that, the phone has to be unlocked for NFC to work. So unless you walk around with your phone screen awake at all times, it's a total non-issue.
A normal wallet full of cash and cards is much more insecure that Google Wallet and NFC.
NFC is great though. I use it at 7/11, rite-aid, cvs, and mcdonalds all the time.
Frogacuda said:
Who said anything about cash? My cards work fine.
But people can put an NFC reader in a bag and bump into your pocket on the subway. It's really not a particularly secure bit of tech, and it's also not a significantly more convenient thing than swiping a credit card.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Virtually all modern credit and debit cards issued by the major banks have some kind of contactless chip embedded in them.
AMEX has ExpressPay, Master Card has PayPass, Discover has Zip, Visa has PayWave. Different banks have it under their own branding, too. Chase, for example, puts them all under their "Blink" term.
The chip itself is like 5mm x 5mm, thinner than the credit card itself, and only really produces a slight variation in the surface of the credit card. You'll only really see it if you're explicitly looking for it.
polish_pat said:
Bought this battery from a reseller around here and I wanted to know whether i just gave up nfc for an increase in battery life? Also please explain why does nfc require a special battery? Why can't it just be a microchip emitting signal integrated in the phone?
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/270899338893?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649
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Click to collapse
I just ordered mine. I never like to buy from china but for 17 dollars even if i got scammed i thought it was worth the chance. Have you noticed an increase in battery life?
i got an extra 1.5-2 hours
ok kool im glad too here
polish_pat said:
Bought this battery from a reseller around here and I wanted to know whether i just gave up nfc for an increase in battery life? Also please explain why does nfc require a special battery? Why can't it just be a microchip emitting signal integrated in the phone?
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/270899338893?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That looks like a good battery that will fit under the current cover. I too want an extended battery like this but I don't want to lose NFC...
eagercrow said:
That information is incorrect. Read around people here on the forums have NFC working. **Edit, I misunderstood you. Yes the battery houses the antenna, and the phone has the other parts of the circuity, but without the antenna NFC is useless.
And for those of you who think its a gimmick take a look at what one user here is doing with it:
cdshepherd said:
A quick example. I have a nfc tag sitting on my nightstand. At night when I go to bed I set my phone on the tag. It automatically turns my wifi off, turns my alarm on, and turns the night mode clock on. Its really neat stuff. Paying with NFC (which we can't do yet) is only scratching the surface when it comes to this technology. If your interested more Google search it. There is tons of stuff.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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Click to collapse
I just ordered 5 NFC tags. I'm going to place 1 on my nightstand, 1 in the car and 1 at work. Each one will be programmed to to different things. For example the nightstand tag will turn off wifi, put phone on silent. The car tag will turn up all the sounds, increase brightness to full, turn on bluetooth and GPS and launch the music player. The one at work will turn off all sounds, turn brightness down to minimum and turn off bluetooth and GPS.
Once mobile payments come to my area I will use it NFC for that as well.
i guess when you get the new battery and NFC is grayed out in the settings menu you will have your definitive answer. i'd like to know fo sho.
I just got this battery and nfc is not greyed out in the settings. But I have no way to test it otherwise.
marvin02 said:
I just got this battery and nfc is not greyed out in the settings. But I have no way to test it otherwise.
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Stock UCLD2 has NFC test that can be accessed via *#6328378#
Custom rom's might have removed NfcTest.apk as bloat, so it might not work on all.
Yes, what else do you do with your phone? We have one of the most feature-rich, complex phone existing but the xda Note Edge forums are so quite.
I'm sure that there are options, futures wich we are not using at their potential.
So let's speak about interesting things we do with the phone.
My examples:
1. Kodi+addons+bubleupnp+ Chromecast=relaxation time
I watch the movies I want from my bed on my non smart tv. Time for "Game of thrones" s6 ep1 now If someoane needs any info regarding this please let me know.
2. I live in Uk and the car repair prices are so big. Therefore in time I learned that the best way to save money when you need a car repair -if you can't fix it yourself-is to already have an idea about what the problem is and how much the spare parts are(ebay is the best friend for parts) before going to the mechanic.
Bluetooth Obd scanner(�£4) + diagnostic app (torque for ex) are helping a lot when the engine light comes on.
What about you? What other interesting things are you doing with your phone?
P.s.-has anyone managed to find a way to use the phone as a live booting usb, without root? If you have root it is easy to do that using drivedroid.
rew2 said:
2. I live in Uk and the car repair prices are so big. Therefore in time I learned that the best way to save money when you need a car repair -if you can't fix it yourself-is to already have an idea about what the problem is and how much the spare parts are(ebay is the best friend for parts) before going to the mechanic.
Bluetooth Obd scanner(�£4) + diagnostic app (torque for ex) are helping a lot when the engine light comes on.
Click to expand...
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If you're into cars, you might want to check out the app "Dash". You run it while you're driving and it gives you real-time info from your OBD scanner in a nice interface, among other things.
RichBordoni said:
If you're into cars, you might want to check out the app "Dash". You run it while you're driving and it gives you real-time info from your OBD scanner in a nice interface, among other things.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use that also, very good app. Thanks!
For monitoring helth I use two aps: Icare and Shealth.
With Icare I'm checking the blood pressure (fairly accurate, in my case -12 as stated in the descriprion).
Rough animator is just amazing with the edge's grunt and an s-pen
With the prices on Z Flip 3 lately, I was considering snagging one to use as a dedicated hotspot. I’d love some advice.
iPhone user who can’t stand the built-in hotspot that doesn’t broadcast all the time. It works great for Apple devices that have same AppleID…not so much for others. I just want something that I can keep in my backpack and it’s just ready. Considering the Nighthawk 5G is $400…might as well get this.
Would prefer to use a widget to control the hotspot from the outside display and not have to flip open to use. I see there are some options there. Any tips or cool widgets to be aware of?
My wireless plans have 40-50GB of hotspot included, but I’d rather mask the hotspot so that it doesn’t come from that bank. Do I need to root? Or are there some apps that I can still download that do that?
Ethernet tethering…does that mean with an adapter I can hook up to my home Wi-Fi router as the source when our home internet goes out?
Anything else I’m not considering?
Thanks in advance for the advice!
A 3300 mAh battery isn't all that much power...
blackhawk said:
A 3300 mAh battery isn't all that much power...
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Good point. The dedicated hotspots generally have 4500-5500. Though I’ve seen that wireless charging with MagSafe works with a ring, and I have plenty of chargers that would be pretty convenient.
farnlc said:
Good point. The dedicated hotspots generally have 4500-5500. Though I’ve seen that wireless charging with MagSafe works with a ring, and I have plenty of chargers that would be pretty convenient.
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Depending on the current usage with screen off running as a hot spot constantly being on a charger may not work well. Phones aren't designed to be charged with the screen on ie in a high current drain state.
If it does maintain a 100% charge state... high temperatures and high cell voltage degrade an Li the quickest.
In the end midrange power cycling (40-80%) may yield a better Li lifespan.
farnlc said:
With the prices on Z Flip 3 lately, I was considering snagging one to use as a dedicated hotspot. I’d love some advice.
iPhone user who can’t stand the built-in hotspot that doesn’t broadcast all the time. It works great for Apple devices that have same AppleID…not so much for others. I just want something that I can keep in my backpack and it’s just ready. Considering the Nighthawk 5G is $400…might as well get this.
Would prefer to use a widget to control the hotspot from the outside display and not have to flip open to use. I see there are some options there. Any tips or cool widgets to be aware of?
My wireless plans have 40-50GB of hotspot included, but I’d rather mask the hotspot so that it doesn’t come from that bank. Do I need to root? Or are there some apps that I can still download that do that?
Ethernet tethering…does that mean with an adapter I can hook up to my home Wi-Fi router as the source when our home internet goes out?
Anything else I’m not considering?
Thanks in advance for the advice!
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Click to collapse
1. There are a lot of options out there before buying a phone to do it. Make sure you've considered all of them, such as https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09742XJB1 (~$190)
2. By default, it's not an option. There are a couple options out there to run apps and widgets on the cover. You'll find them here.
3. Apps still exist that can run a hotspot separate from whatever your carrier claims is the limit. It's my understanding that the limit is bandwidth added, whereas using a third-party hotspot borrows the bandwidth from your phone. In your case, it won't make much difference not using the phone.
4. Using adapters, it is possible. That isn't to say it will be effective, since you would be using a single 5G connection broken down into a portion for each device connected to it. It's a bit like ordering one pizza. Either the slices need to be smaller or less people need to eat.
5. Phone hotspots are meant for when you run into trouble and someone needs to borrow internet or you have a tablet that would be better for completing a task. It's not a long-term solution by any means.
If you really want to buy a phone to run a hotspot, there are far better options. You can limit some battery use with the cover screen by running a full launcher on it, but that only compensates for the smaller device battery. At the end of the day, you trade that extra time you would have every time you are running the hotspot with the screen off for the few times you have to change settings not using as much power on that run. It would only really make sense if you already had the phone and were repurposing it.
https://www.amazon.com/Motorola-battery-Unlocked-Camera-Silver/dp/B08NWD7K8H
$229 for 5G and a 5000 mAh battery makes a lot more sense.
twistedumbrella said:
1. There are a lot of options out there before buying a phone to do it. Make sure you've considered all of them, such as https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09742XJB1 (~$190)
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A dedicated hotspot would be fine, but I plan on using SIM cards on phone plans or iPad plans. I wouldn't want to use anything that would trigger a flag.
twistedumbrella said:
4. Using adapters, it is possible. That isn't to say it will be effective, since you would be using a single 5G connection broken down into a portion for each device connected to it. It's a bit like ordering one pizza. Either the slices need to be smaller or less people need to eat.
5. Phone hotspots are meant for when you run into trouble and someone needs to borrow internet or you have a tablet that would be better for completing a task. It's not a long-term solution by any means.
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No arguments here. Every once in a blue moon we have a disconnect at home and we need to fire up hotspots. If I had an option to integrate into our router so that I didn't have to update all the connection settings that would be cool.
twistedumbrella said:
If you really want to buy a phone to run a hotspot, there are far better options. You can limit some battery use with the cover screen by running a full launcher on it, but that only compensates for the smaller device battery. At the end of the day, you trade that extra time you would have every time you are running the hotspot with the screen off for the few times you have to change settings not using as much power on that run. It would only really make sense if you already had the phone and were repurposing it.
https://www.amazon.com/Motorola-battery-Unlocked-Camera-Silver/dp/B08NWD7K8H
$229 for 5G and a 5000 mAh battery makes a lot more sense.
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I appreciate the recommendation. The main appeal to this device is the form factor. If I'm going to run phone as hotspot I want it to be as small/compact as possible - understanding the trade-off in battery life. What I really want is a Palm Companion sized phone that I can program a launcher to only control the hotspot and lock the screen so it doesn't go into any other interface. Basically - act like a hotspot device - but have a phone IMEI that's less traceable.
farnlc said:
A dedicated hotspot would be fine, but I plan on using SIM cards on phone plans or iPad plans. I wouldn't want to use anything that would trigger a flag.
No arguments here. Every once in a blue moon we have a disconnect at home and we need to fire up hotspots. If I had an option to integrate into our router so that I didn't have to update all the connection settings that would be cool.
I appreciate the recommendation. The main appeal to this device is the form factor. If I'm going to run phone as hotspot I want it to be as small/compact as possible - understanding the trade-off in battery life. What I really want is a Palm Companion sized phone that I can program a launcher to only control the hotspot and lock the screen so it doesn't go into any other interface. Basically - act like a hotspot device - but have a phone IMEI that's less traceable.
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If the Ticwris MAX devices were 5G, I'd recommend that. They're 2600 mAh, but about the size of a Zippo. One thing I've learned, though, is if you approach a list of cons trying to justify how to accept or overcome them, you've already decided. Best thing to do is make sure you can return it if it's not what you hoped.