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Hi,
I have only had my SGS2 a day so im still getting used to all the features.
I was playing with the voice commands while sitting in the house last night which worked great so today while driving to and from work i thought id give it a go for real bit it wasn't as successfully. whenever i tried to speak it wouldn't recognise what i was trying to say.and the microphone icon was constantly red im guessing from external noise like road friction and traffic is there any way to reduce the sensitivity?
There are no options that I can see to change sensitivity. Background noise is an issue unfortunately.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App
That's a shame and big disappointment as it now renders this feature completely useless.
Has anybody used this feature successfully while driving?
I hope a workaround can be achieved.
dawson8 said:
That's a shame and big disappointment as it now renders this feature completely useless.
Has anybody used this feature successfully while driving?
I hope a workaround can be achieved.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have no issues whatsoever using the voice commands while driving.
Perhaps it's just to do with the amount of noise inside your vehicle?
I have a car with plenty of sound deadening for example.
UncleScar said:
I have no issues whatsoever using the voice commands while driving.
Perhaps it's just to do with the amount of noise inside your vehicle?
I have a car with plenty of sound deadening for example.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes I suspect the type of car i drive does contribute to the problem, however I would of thought that there would be options for different levels of background noise as not all vehicles are quiet inside.
I will try it in the wifes car at the weekend to see if it improves
thanks for the replies
same problem
I have the same problem with the voice command software and find it is way to sensitive for me car.
I have bought the official car cradle which starts the software automatically.
Does anyone know if there is any way of stopping the cradle putting the phone in car mode.
Thanks
I recently bought a used Xperia Active mainly to be used as a cycling computer (with the awesome app OruxMaps) and for recording my runs using Endomondo. The stock ROM was bloated with all sorts so after a few days it just had to go.
First I flashed CM10.1 but apparently the BT stack is borked on that so Ant+ is not working, so I flashed CM10 and everything works great or at least everything that I need. It connects to my BT x-fit headphones, BT Polar HRM and Ant+ B'Twin Speed and Cadence sensor without any major issues - the audio cuts out occasionally but I'm not sure if it's an issue with Google Music/All Access or a 3G connectivity or BT issue and haven't bothered investigating to be honest.
I've read that the BT stack in 4.3 is better and supports BT BLE which I might decide to use for fitness accessories - although reading about Ant+, it sounds a far better option for that sort of thing.
So, is CM10.2 likely to come to the Active? I'm assuming there shouldn't be an issue in terms of hardware, is there?
Also, if there are any fellow runners/cyclists with any app suggestions to motivate/record/map/etc I'd like to hear from you!
My setup as I said is OruxMaps for cycling. I tried IpBike which is not bad either, but didn't like the UI. I also tried a couple of other apps, but haven't seen anything that I liked. Apparently Cyclemeter is great on the i-Devices but their FAQ says: "We do hope to do an Android version of our app, but it’s not in our near term plans. We’ve had a great response from customers on the iPhone, and they provide lots of feedback for us about new features they’d like to see. Wish we could have said otherwise, it would be great to have you as a customer!"
OruxMaps uses MapMyTracks.com for live tracking and you can email the GPX of your ride to Strava straight from the app. BTW, I have no association with OruxMaps!
For running I have a premium subscription with Endomondo. I like the flexibility of the audio coach and I just noticed that they have a new beta feature on their website: 'Training Plans' where you enter your goal, goal date, number of training days, pace, etc and it creates a... Training Plan. Probably not as good as getting a customised training plan from a coach, but it's probably on par to the generic ones you can find online. I also export my runs and import them to Strava.
Regarding Strava, they have a much better looking website than Endomondo, and without a doubt the segments for cycling are awesome, but their apps are a long way from being great. Apart from being much less customisable, they only support Zephyr HxM and have no plans on supporting Polar HRMs. Apparently "there are connectivity issues with Polar HRMs and they want to give their customers the best possible experience!". I have used my Polar HRM with a number of different apps, phones and Android versions and it seems to be working fine 99% of the time, so I don't see why they can't support it. Also, it's hard to justify paying almost double of what Endomondo's premium subscription costs - but perhaps their analysis is better?
NT
Hi,
I can tell you to try the uBike.apk
For me is the best for cycling.
Regards
Joao
I've been considering buying this device to be used for working out as well, so thanks for confirming that Google Play Music will work on it! I'll be interesting to see if things get better with different ROMs.
Amazing! I thought I was the only one. I was on a year long quest to find the perfect (and better) substitute for the ever popular garmin 800 series. I do a lot of credit card touring, lots of country riding where I create the route using ridewithgps, DL as gpx and off I go. Oruxmaps has proved to be the perfect app for me when I'm doing any real riding/recording, and I use an app called Osmand+ if I'm doing a little bit more exploratory or want better navigation options (its got far better offline POI capabilities, so it helps if you get stuck in a rainstorm and need to find some kind of nearby shelter). I'm pumped to hear someone else went this route as most of my racing buddies are too high brow to get anything other than a garmin.
On a sidenote, I came up with a pretty incredible and simple (read: easy to do if you're a dummy with epoxy) way to get the male bit of the garmin mount on the back of the xperia so I could use all the low profile and cool garmin mounts. If you're interested let me know and I can give you a super easy step by step.
All that said, I'm really struggling to find a reason to root/mod the phone. I use it purely as a cycling computer right now (but plan to probably get my music on there too depending on battery life). It performs amazingly at this task as-is. Super snappy, the only thing I hate is having to look at the extra icons of the apps I'll never use. One thing I really wanted to get from rooting was the ability to skip the lock screen as that gets pretty annoying during a ride and potentially so I could remap the hardware buttons to something more useful while cycling (perhaps have it cycle through all the available apps? dunno, but it sounds cool). But, I found an app that lets you skip the lockscreen, so that major requirement has already been met.
Aside from the bloatware, have you found any nice advantages to rooting and putting on CM? Thanks in advance -
Rick
Hi Rick,
If is possible for you to send this to mu email acount ([email protected]) I thank you very much.
Regards
laquer09 said:
On a sidenote, I came up with a pretty incredible and simple (read: easy to do if you're a dummy with epoxy) way to get the male bit of the garmin mount on the back of the xperia so I could use all the low profile and cool garmin mounts. If you're interested let me know and I can give you a super easy step by step.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the replies guys! I was sure that there must've been other Active users/fans!
@optiplus Thanks, had a look and looks interesting! I'll have to give it ago!
@tartanblue @laquer09 What I found when I flashed CM10 was that the phone is snappier and the battery lasts a lot longer. Although I didn't do any scientific testing, with the stock ROM I would ride for an hour or so, leave it unplugged overnight and that was that pretty much. (no other usage, just on standby) With CM10 I was really surprised that it lasted a similar ride and more than 48 hours on standby. It's not a huge achievement in the sense that I have turned off all syncing, there's no Facebook or anything running, but the stock ROM has a lot of stuff running. Another thing that CM10 fixed was the super annoying flickering issue and also, at full brightness at CM10 is a lot brighter than stock, which seemed to go very bright as soon as I unlocked it and then dim. I checked the setting and it was not on auto brightness and tried with the Bravia engine on and off. Didn't work. CM10 fixed it.
I like having the screen on during the right to check cadence, speed, etc as I ride, so on the odd occasion that we were graced with a sunny day, increased brightness helped! Although I think OruxMaps has a setting to keep the screen on I use Screebl (I've linked to the paid version, but there's a free Lite version too which works well, but I found it so useful, that I just had to support the dev. I've been using it since the days of my HTC Magic - Oh how far we've come!!)
Also, as a stock Nexus user, Sony's software is just... revolting! Even the little things like the toggles in the notifications drawer is great. (and I prefer the CM way to the Google way... but what can you do?)
Having said that, for purely cycling purposes I guess stock or CM10 doesn't make a huge difference. Also, flashing the Active was a bit more complicated than I would've liked.
Regarding mounts, I got the xperia active bike holder from SportyPal (Review) and it's simple, solid and having the Active on it really looks like it's a Garmin. (when I read it back it looked like I was embarrassed about using the Active instead of the Garmin, but I didn't mean it like that!! Just that the whole mount+Active combo is quite diminutive!)
I also recently heard about the Finn and thought for 12 euros it'd be rude not to get one. When the weather is good I'd like to try recording with OruxMaps on the Active and maybe the Strava Cycling app on the Nexus 4 and see how different the results are.
Honestly though I do wish Strava pulled their finger out and sorted out their apps. How cool (and I imagine relatively easy for developers who are worth their salt) it would be to have proper BT/Ant+ support, customisable dashboard and segment notifier which would buzz to let you know that you're entering a segment!! And they would totally kill it if they added track creation capabilities on their website! But I'm just dreaming!
optiplus said:
Hi Rick,
If is possible for you to send this to mu email acount ([email protected]) I thank you very much.
Regards
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can email you as well, but I kinda thought other folks might like to see this so I posted it up here. Let me know if you still need the email.
Things you need:
1. The male bit of the garmin mount. These are not easy to find because for the most part, the male bit is part of the plastic mold on garmin devices. However, I found this: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006BACP6A/ref=pe_385040_30332190_pe_175190_21431760_3p_M3T1_ST1_dp_i1
2. Epoxy putty - http://spasandmore.com/catalog/quic...ts-to-repair-your-pool-spa-hot-tub-59502.html
3. A razor blade or hobby knife...something pretty dang sharp and fairly rigid. This will be used for cutting the male bit.
4. Like 45 minutes of time
What to do:
1. Take the male bit thingy from the package of stuff - image attached. Cut it around the raised edge. You can see where I cut mine in one of the attached images. The plastic was actually not difficult to cut, at all.
2. Score both the back of the xperia and the male bit pretty good. I used the edge of a scissor to do it and it worked fine.
3. Take out that epoxy, cut a bit of it off, and knead it with your fingers (basically, read the instructions on how to use it. I am not awesome at this kind of stuff and it was really straightforward).
4. Put the kneaded putty on the back of the phone, then simply press that male bit into the putty. Wait the recommended amount of time for setting (pretty sure its between 1-2 hours)
You're done. Go get whatever garmin mount you like (I really like the SRAM one that sits out in front of the bars, but you can use any of their mounts or the sweet looking barfly one.
Couple things to note
- I waaay overused the putty here. This was supposed to be my test case so I was overdoing it on purpose. Functionally its totally fine, but it is a tad ugly. After you plop the male bit onto the putty, you could probably trim a bunch of it.
- Scared its not going to hold? Don't worry, I was too. This is where that what-I-thought-was-completely-useless-lanyard comes into play. I actually put the lanyard in the phone and then ran the lanyard over my bars. I did this maybe for the first week, but I live in Chicago and I tested it using my cross bike / commuter over some really really really crappy roads with my tires at 110. I was pretty convinced after a week and stopped using the lanyard. And then I lowered my psi back to normal chicago 90 so my butt wouldn't hurt anymore Still, better safe than sorry right.
- One cool side benefit, among 100s of others, is the flashlight feature of the phone. Now, I just set it to strobe and turn it on at night...boom, no longer need a bike light
- Using bluetooth headphones and whatever music app you want rules. I didn't know how much I'd adore it before I tried...but having the ability to cycle through songs, albums, playlists....amazing.
- My xperia came with 2 backs...one black and one white. This, my supposed to be test case, is the white one. As you can see, it gets dirty. Might want to use the black one and maybe paint/marker up the putty so it matches.
Let me know if you've got any questions, and good luck. I could not be flipping happier about the way this all turned out, and my racing buddies are starting to get jealous. Lets see...a garmin 810 for 600 bucks, or a phone that has multiple options for mapping/tracking (free), can be your music player and emergency phone call maker (or anything else you can do with the android platform) for a whopping 188 bucks and maybe 20 bucks on the mount stuff.
Win
Rick
Thanks so much for posting this. I wanted to ask you in my previous post to put it somewhere like G+ or a cycling blog or something but I guess here is just fine!
laquer09 said:
I can email you as well, but I kinda thought other folks might like to see this so I posted it up here. Let me know if you still need the email.
Things you need:
1. The male bit of the garmin mount. These are not easy to find because for the most part, the male bit is part of the plastic mold on garmin devices. However, I found this: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006BACP6A/ref=pe_385040_30332190_pe_175190_21431760_3p_M3T1_ST1_dp_i1
2. Epoxy putty - http://spasandmore.com/catalog/quic...ts-to-repair-your-pool-spa-hot-tub-59502.html
3. A razor blade or hobby knife...something pretty dang sharp and fairly rigid. This will be used for cutting the male bit.
4. Like 45 minutes of time
What to do:
1. Take the male bit thingy from the package of stuff - image attached. Cut it around the raised edge. You can see where I cut mine in one of the attached images. The plastic was actually not difficult to cut, at all.
2. Score both the back of the xperia and the male bit pretty good. I used the edge of a scissor to do it and it worked fine.
3. Take out that epoxy, cut a bit of it off, and knead it with your fingers (basically, read the instructions on how to use it. I am not awesome at this kind of stuff and it was really straightforward).
4. Put the kneaded putty on the back of the phone, then simply press that male bit into the putty. Wait the recommended amount of time for setting (pretty sure its between 1-2 hours)
You're done. Go get whatever garmin mount you like (I really like the SRAM one that sits out in front of the bars, but you can use any of their mounts or the sweet looking barfly one.
Couple things to note
- I waaay overused the putty here. This was supposed to be my test case so I was overdoing it on purpose. Functionally its totally fine, but it is a tad ugly. After you plop the male bit onto the putty, you could probably trim a bunch of it.
- Scared its not going to hold? Don't worry, I was too. This is where that what-I-thought-was-completely-useless-lanyard comes into play. I actually put the lanyard in the phone and then ran the lanyard over my bars. I did this maybe for the first week, but I live in Chicago and I tested it using my cross bike / commuter over some really really really crappy roads with my tires at 110. I was pretty convinced after a week and stopped using the lanyard. And then I lowered my psi back to normal chicago 90 so my butt wouldn't hurt anymore Still, better safe than sorry right.
- One cool side benefit, among 100s of others, is the flashlight feature of the phone. Now, I just set it to strobe and turn it on at night...boom, no longer need a bike light
- Using bluetooth headphones and whatever music app you want rules. I didn't know how much I'd adore it before I tried...but having the ability to cycle through songs, albums, playlists....amazing.
- My xperia came with 2 backs...one black and one white. This, my supposed to be test case, is the white one. As you can see, it gets dirty. Might want to use the black one and maybe paint/marker up the putty so it matches.
Let me know if you've got any questions, and good luck. I could not be flipping happier about the way this all turned out, and my racing buddies are starting to get jealous. Lets see...a garmin 810 for 600 bucks, or a phone that has multiple options for mapping/tracking (free), can be your music player and emergency phone call maker (or anything else you can do with the android platform) for a whopping 188 bucks and maybe 20 bucks on the mount stuff.
Win
Rick
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ntoqiakt said:
Thanks so much for posting this. I wanted to ask you in my previous post to put it somewhere like G+ or a cycling blog or something but I guess here is just fine!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No problem - I'd love to post it on a cycling blog/forum if you can point me to the right one. There are so many out there...I've never actually joined any. I could also put it on G+...PM me your email address and I'll add you into one of my groups and post it there. Even though this solution was simple, it took me a darn long time to come up with and I'd love to save folks the time/effort/money/despair.
FWIW, I used it on a 60mi custom route I made this weekend and it was friggin flawless. Not a single missed turn and the route was perfect. I've recently started listening to music using it via my BT headphones. That is so much win I can barely handle it.
Rick
ntoqiakt said:
I recently bought a used Xperia Active mainly to be used as a cycling computer (with the awesome app OruxMaps) and for recording my runs using Endomondo. The stock ROM was bloated with all sorts so after a few days it just had to go.
First I flashed CM10.1 but apparently the BT stack is borked on that so Ant+ is not working, so I flashed CM10 and everything works great or at least everything that I need. It connects to my BT x-fit headphones, BT Polar HRM and Ant+ B'Twin Speed and Cadence sensor without any major issues - the audio cuts out occasionally but I'm not sure if it's an issue with Google Music/All Access or a 3G connectivity or BT issue and haven't bothered investigating to be honest.
NT
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello,
at the begining i would like say "hello" im new member on xda so BTW...
I'm looking for CM10 working with SE Xperia Active ST17I.
I saw that upgrade was succesfull.
Could You tell me where download (all links "died") or share package of working files to upgrade Xperia Active to CM10 and android 4.1.2?
I ve upgraded xperia to 4.0.4 and I would like try highest version of software. It is great device for active Cyclists.
Please help. Thank You for reply :good:
Regards
Seeing as being a module developer would involve developing both the hardware and the software, basically giving you almost total control over what you can make (within the constraints of the MDK itself), what kind of module would you build?
Open discussion for anyone really, dreamers and doers alike.
If I had the knowhow and the materials to do so, I think I'd build a solar-charging module to attach to the phone (possibly removing the charger/USB cable module?) so that the phone can be charged on the go.
I'd stick w/ usb charging/jtag module ... Phone's memory blocks would be laid open should one combine the two into a single module option. Solar cells good idea but they take a lot of surface area to generate a substantial/adequate amount of power to run device. I'm interested in seeing the mdk to know what kind of parameters we might be working with either way.
Sent from my HTCEVODesign4G using Tapatalk
When it comes to Solar cells, I honestly hope that this actually inspires the development of solar cells that are transparent - much like the capacitive layer on touchscreens today. That way, the solar cell could cover almost the entire front of the device - and that way not only act as a source of power, but also as a replacement for today's Ambient Light Sensors (what is the abbreviation for that? ALS doesn't come out right...) - since a solar cell could measure the entire amount of light shining on a device, and not just the amount of light on a small area on the fascia, it would be a lot more accurate. Plus, while you probably wouldn't be generating energy while using your phone in the sun (I'm thinking of the law of conservation of energy here), it would make battery life much better, not to mention much more steady, because the brighter your display would have to be, the more energy it would be getting - and that's assuming you're using it constantly, and, oh, I don't know, putting it down to enjoy what is probably beautiful weather at that point. Unless you put it in your pocket, the way I usually do...
My initial response could prove false in some short span of time. I read http://inhabitat.com/researchers-bu...00-times-more-powerful-than-conventional-pvs/ and albeit they have their challenges, making thinner, smaller cells that are more efficient seems plausible. I love research & tech
Rob
Sent from my HTCEVODesign4G using Tapatalk
Instead of a phone id be happier if this project spawned a new class of android devices (not tablets not phones) that with modules could be more standalone camera or camcorder like (maybe this is actually backwards thinking but illustrates we dont have to stick to our current notions), or have more sensors (really just throwing out star trek ticorder) to be used in scientific applications (eg geology, biology, etc, in mind more field work type situations). Maybe scanner, projector, 3d camera, better speakers, sylus/no stylus, stylus capable screen. Different cameras (infra red or whatever more in line with idea of device being a gadget)
I'm actually thinking that this is where this project will actually go. At the very least it'll be a device that you can transform from your "everyday"phone into a specialized powerhouse built for [insert your abstract scenario here] and back again. As I see it, they're bringing the flexibility of the Android OS to similarly flexible hardware. So I think you've got the idea that they're running with, that this will eventually become a "build your own ________ powered by Android" project, not simply a "upgrade your phone pieces" project.
Sent from my DROID RAZR using xda app-developers app
Yes upgrading phone pieces immediately sounded like a cool idea but probably not immediately pratical (maybe not yet). A device that can become a more specialized device through hardware offers a broader approach that can in the end include upgrade modules being practical. Laptop docks for android phones is similar but wasnt avaiable for all devices. If recall on the droid x2 the kernel and ram was not capable of supporting a moto dock option. Even if this were to expand to a specialized hardware module more like a peripheral, universal support would be difficult. I think all the OEMs would need to get on board. I dunno.
trainman261 said:
When it comes to Solar cells, I honestly hope that this actually inspires the development of solar cells that are transparent - much like the capacitive layer on touchscreens today.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That wouldn't be good. Solar cells don't CREATE electricity when they are hit by light. They TURN light into electrical power, and it couldn't be otherwise as energy cannot come out from nothing. Photons are absorbed by electrons, which detach from their atom and start moving, generating a current, and the ideal solar panel should have its electrons absorb all the light and let no light back: it should be completely BLACK. Transparent (or white) ones would generate no current.
Gspin96 said:
That wouldn't be good. Solar cells don't CREATE electricity when they are hit by light. They TURN light into electrical power, and it couldn't be otherwise as energy cannot come out from nothing. Photons are absorbed by electrons, which detach from their atom and start moving, generating a current, and the ideal solar panel should have its electrons absorb all the light and let no light back: it should be completely BLACK. Transparent (or white) ones would generate no current.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What about the entire back of the phone being a big solar panel?
Gspin96 said:
That wouldn't be good. Solar cells don't CREATE electricity when they are hit by light. They TURN light into electrical power, and it couldn't be otherwise as energy cannot come out from nothing. Photons are absorbed by electrons, which detach from their atom and start moving, generating a current, and the ideal solar panel should have its electrons absorb all the light and let no light back: it should be completely BLACK. Transparent (or white) ones would generate no current.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think you understand what I'm saying, I know energy isn't created, and I understand the concept of solar cells - that's specifically what I was referring to when I said that you wouldn't be able to use it in the sun and charge it like that because of conservation of energy - because otherwise there would be more of an imbalance - it would be charging, and shining out about the same amount of light as it is receiving. Of course, stupid me forgot about UV and infrared, which negates that part of my argument . What I meant was that I was hoping that some day there would be a solar cell that could be on top of a screen, and you could still the screen. One option would be semi-translucent - the screen would just have to be tuned a bit brighter, which wouldn't be a problem, either, as most of the light that doesn't make it through the solar cell would be re-captured as energy anyway. The other option - the ideal one - would be a solar cell that would only transform light landing on one side. This definitely wouldn't absorb all the light because of the law stating that light can go back the same way it came, and when I think about it, it probably couldn't work at all, but who knows what science will provide us with in a couple of years - there have been surprises in the past...
Wroleader said:
What about the entire back of the phone being a big solar panel?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
At the current state of technology, that would probably be the best option (plus maybe a bit on the bezel, but depending on the efficiency of the solar panel, that could just be a waste) - We don't have any (semi)-transparent solar panels AFAIK, so they have to be dark like that, so yes, at the moment, the entire back of the phone being a solar panel would probably be the best option.
You mean something like a cell absorbing light coming from side A and letting through light coming from side B? Then sorry, I didn't get it .
Project Ara designs.
I wouldlove to have a pocketable service monitor that has a wide spectrum analysis capability, is frequency agile, and has HEMPT devices in the RF measuring section for ultra low noise figure, high gain, good IP3 and selectivity.
You can exclude the generate function, I prefer a device I can take screen shots of signal paths, attenuation, spectrum purity and bandwidth of measured signals, and be capable of printing the output to a printer via Bluetooth or even WiFi.
AECRADIO said:
I wouldlove to have a pocketable service monitor that has a wide spectrum analysis capability, is frequency agile, and has HEMPT devices in the RF measuring section for ultra low noise figure, high gain, good IP3 and selectivity.
You can exclude the generate function, I prefer a device I can take screen shots of signal paths, attenuation, spectrum purity and bandwidth of measured signals, and be capable of printing the output to a printer via Bluetooth or even WiFi.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Some day we can have the omni tool. That is ultimately what I hope in the long run ideas like this lead to.
Rear touchpad and e-ink screen
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk
Research and such
As a budding computer engineer at MTU, I can see this being used for specialized research devices. I can also see somebody building a digital oscilloscope and logic analyzer as modules. No need to get these super expensive bench devices when I can whip out my phone, plug in the wires, and open an app.
I'm nowhere near being an engineer/programmer/etc., but I saw a dongle somewhere a while ago, maybe on Kickstarter, which was like a virtual credit card. You'd plug in which ever card(s) you wanted into the little dongle through your phone via Bluetooth or NFC or something, and all you had to do was swipe the thing over the credit card reader strip on a typical point of sale reader; somehow it created a magnetic field (magnets....how do they work?) and the field replicated the information on your credit card such that it would complete the transaction.
If there was a small module for this that you could plug onto the Ara 'skeleton' which made having a separate thing on your keyring unnecessary, I think it'd not only be a neat feature but also something very practical which might also speed along the use of your phone as a method of payment for goods and services. There's a few different competing NFC services but no universal standard to encourage wide-spread use of NFC (at least not here in the U.S.), but everyone takes cards these days.
Like good ol' days!
Now here is the idea:
*I go to a store.
*I BUY an app/game CARTRIDGE :laugh:.
*Plug it in my ara.
*Enjoy!
Yeah yeah those environmentalists out there will say "why more plastic garbage?" But just think of it like this:
*If the module has inbuilt memory then my phone's internal memory (oh! so precious!) will be saved.
*The apps/games can be as memory hungry as they want to be.
*No more TIME-WASTAGE in downloading GBs of game data.
*People will feel better when they get a piece of hardware for their money!
*Guys from the 90's can showoff their cartridge collections once again in a modern way!
I am very much interested to use such cartridges one day on my ara phone and I will be glad to help anyone who is interested in taking this idea further!
Hit thanks if I helped you!
@gautam360: Single screen Nintendo DS! xD
Not too awe inspiring, but something I would definitely use: USB/Ara Module combo. When on the phone, it mounts just like an SD Card. Slide it out, plug it into a PC, no different than a Flash/Pen/Stick/Thumb/WHATEVERwhocares drive. Formatted as something cross platform. Form factor designed so that you physically can't mount both ends simultaneously.
I would also probably make use of a WiFi Direct module and an IR Blaster module.
At least at first, I expect we will see a lot of modules similar to what showed up with Handspring/Springboard, then a bunch of audio/DJ type stuff like you see for iOS, then more scientific/industrial applications (thermal imager? stud finder? voltmeter? oscilloscope?). Maybe Sound Blaster could make a comeback... Amazon could release their barcode scanner in module form... OneTouch diabetic blood sugar sensors could scan your levels every time you pick up the phone... ThinkGeek could sell an Ara module version of the annoy-a-tron... so many possibilities.
I would use a light meter, that would be nice. Also a Digital Multimeter...
Sent from my HTC6435LVW using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
October Edition just arrived, 6 months late, but it did arrive and it did work (albeit with the additional Cradle not in the box)
Charged, set up email to send myself the Google Play apk; double clicked it and everything worked fine. Activated my Android and all working well.
Downloaded some apps, inc spotify and mapmyrun. Added a sim card and sd card - not well designed really. The galaxy s5 shows how simple it is to do and retain waterproofing. The Omate, with tiny fiddly screws, rubber bits, non symetrical cover etc was something I hope not to have to do again; which renders my spare battery a bit pointless. I was expecting to pop off the back and swap a drained battery for a charged one, as I can do on a mobile.
However, with battery at 67% went for a 1 hour run and with GPS, Wifi, Data and Bluetooth active (music to BT Headphones and running data being tracked) battery only went down 20% - impressive! and confirmed I can give up the GPS watch...
All good, but definitely some sticking points. Wifi at one point wouldn't re-activate, without a long reboot. The keyboard can drive you insane, especially entering masked passwords - the keyboard can be supersensitive and fire off several characters at once by accident, so you have to start again. The 'show passwords' option doesn't always work.
The navigation seems awkward and inconsistent - i wish there was a back button, the swipe left often triggers an option or menu unintentionally so you have to go back twice and when the same thing happens again, it's not long before you give up and press the home button...
Maybe it's just some getting used to - day 1 and all that!
Overall this is an incredible piece of tech and will be a big benefit to my lifestyle. It requires a change of thinking I suspect, but one that is welcome, so overall I am very pleased with the first impression.
I think the answer to your question about whether you have day 1 frustrations is: yes and no.
I put on Lokifish's latest ROM and did a few other tweaks (principally Daniel Ortiz's recommended GPS fix) and then started from there. I played with the out-of-the-box version for a total of two minutes before I became monumentally frustrated with the sensitivity of the touch screen, and the keyboard seemed to trigger letters even when I was just hovering over the screen trying to make a more accurate 'tap'. Maybe it was placebo effect but the Lokifish ROM seemed to be better calibrated, though I still avoid using the keyboard for anything other than tapping in passwords to get accounts setup.
The first app that gave me an inkling that the TS is a 'keeper' is Runkeeper. (pun!) I'm actually not so much of a runner, but I use Runkeeper on my main device to track my cycling and I log my circuit and swim training data on the web which integrates across the other apps I use to collect and manage fitness data (Withings Body Analyzer, Myfitnesspal, Fitbit). The thought of being able to dispense with multiple tracking apps/devices and perhaps even leaving the big phone at home (the Z1s doesn't have the brightest screen anyway) was one of the main draws of the TrueSmart. But the real 'killer app' feature for me was the ability to use this TrueSmart as an 'all day wearer' *and* have it work in-water to capture swim data. But After six months of waiting (like you) and seeing the not-really-waterproof drama unfold, I was pretty much ready to put this thing on eBay on day 0.
However, Runkeeper/Ride with GPS plus Cyril Preiss' "SWApps" has just about sold me on keeping the device, or at least rekindled my interest enough to see whether its worth pursuing some form of aftermarket waterproofing approach. (currently being hashed out in another thread here)
So in essence I concur with/confirm your findings. I still haven't found out how to get the auto-correct to behave on the keyboard, but I think that's as much about taking a grand-daddy step back to understand how the Fleksy is designed, and how to properly inflect the gestures to keep things from getting out-of-hand (pun!). I remember having *some* of the same trouble when going from the iPhone 4s to the Xperia Z1 (before the Z1s) and that keyboard drove me kuh-ray-zee until I figured out the whole swipe-your-finger-to-spell-the-word thing worked. Then suddenly I wondered how anyone would type on one of these things any other way.
So - I'm coming around to seeing the advantages of the TrueSmart, and more to the point *really* understanding why Lokifish, Cyril, Kurt, Daniel and so many others here see in the platform - and continue to invest time and effort into it.
Oh - and as to the battery drain, I just ran my TS down to 15% and then connected it to a Waka Waka to charge, and while I didn't have it timed it's already back to 100%. Solar powered smartwatch - now we're talkin'. So instead of thinking about a snap-in/out solution for the battery I'm looking at/for a 'gator glip' charger cable or some other light-weight charger connection for the TS (I thought I saw them online somewhere, and OMate was offering them at first - I'd prefer that to the case for workout/outdoor activities where space is a premium). I'm also looking into how to/whether I can set up profiles that are more like "give me what you got" versus "all-day wearer" mode. On the Sony Xperia Z1s there's a "Stamina Mode" which tamps down on battery drain, but can also kill functionality of apps that are not in the foreground (bad news for Panobike cycling cadence meter, etc) so while I have *some* apps exempted from Stamina Mode, when I'm doing a dedicated outing I just switch it off completely - knowing that I'm going to be putting the device on charge by either using one of the portable packs I'm carrying with me - or when I get back to the car.
Anyway, food for thought...
Thanks for the reply, it's good to share tips and tricks!
I saw that Loki has actually abandoned TrueSmart. Frustrations with their updates and lack of support I think.
Primarily for me this watch was a replacement sports tracker, but my hopes for an all-purpose watch are not looking good as the blue-tooth tethering is not working with my S5; it pairs successfully, but doesn't connect, so the TrueSmart Master app is useless.
The TS also doesn't connect to my BT headset for voice, but it did connect with the JayBird headphones (although the cutting out was super irritating).
In Summary - BlueTooth not reliable and will be a deal-breaker as I would have to carry my phone anyway.
Couple with the infuriating keyboard and inconsistent navigation, (I've now tried the LMT dial thing, which also doesn't work properly) I'm losing interest fast - which is a shame as it could be so good.
For charging, my GPS watch uses a clip as you describe. So much better than the cradle which renders the watch inaccessible while it's charging. But why not a simple USB port with a cover, like the S5....(a proper waterproof phone). Even the solar charger will then require carrying two separate items for the TS...
You can set up profiles on an app called Easy Battery Saver - I used it on my last phone and installed it for TS. It works as described and easy to activate/de-activate.
I will keep with the TS a while longer, but I suspect the next Galaxy Gear, which is rumoured to be stand-alone, will be what we are really looking for...
Hope to hear more from you - I will post my next findings on the TS too.
lphovercraft said:
I think the answer to your question about whether you have day 1 frustrations is: yes and no.
I put on Lokifish's latest ROM and did a few other tweaks (principally Daniel Ortiz's recommended GPS fix) and then started from there. I played with the out-of-the-box version for a total of two minutes before I became monumentally frustrated with the sensitivity of the touch screen, and the keyboard seemed to trigger letters even when I was just hovering over the screen trying to make a more accurate 'tap'. Maybe it was placebo effect but the Lokifish ROM seemed to be better calibrated, though I still avoid using the keyboard for anything other than tapping in passwords to get accounts setup.
The first app that gave me an inkling that the TS is a 'keeper' is Runkeeper. (pun!) I'm actually not so much of a runner, but I use Runkeeper on my main device to track my cycling and I log my circuit and swim training data on the web which integrates across the other apps I use to collect and manage fitness data (Withings Body Analyzer, Myfitnesspal, Fitbit). The thought of being able to dispense with multiple tracking apps/devices and perhaps even leaving the big phone at home (the Z1s doesn't have the brightest screen anyway) was one of the main draws of the TrueSmart. But the real 'killer app' feature for me was the ability to use this TrueSmart as an 'all day wearer' *and* have it work in-water to capture swim data. But After six months of waiting (like you) and seeing the not-really-waterproof drama unfold, I was pretty much ready to put this thing on eBay on day 0.
However, Runkeeper/Ride with GPS plus Cyril Preiss' "SWApps" has just about sold me on keeping the device, or at least rekindled my interest enough to see whether its worth pursuing some form of aftermarket waterproofing approach. (currently being hashed out in another thread here)
So in essence I concur with/confirm your findings. I still haven't found out how to get the auto-correct to behave on the keyboard, but I think that's as much about taking a grand-daddy step back to understand how the Fleksy is designed, and how to properly inflect the gestures to keep things from getting out-of-hand (pun!). I remember having *some* of the same trouble when going from the iPhone 4s to the Xperia Z1 (before the Z1s) and that keyboard drove me kuh-ray-zee until I figured out the whole swipe-your-finger-to-spell-the-word thing worked. Then suddenly I wondered how anyone would type on one of these things any other way.
So - I'm coming around to seeing the advantages of the TrueSmart, and more to the point *really* understanding why Lokifish, Cyril, Kurt, Daniel and so many others here see in the platform - and continue to invest time and effort into it.
Oh - and as to the battery drain, I just ran my TS down to 15% and then connected it to a Waka Waka to charge, and while I didn't have it timed it's already back to 100%. Solar powered smartwatch - now we're talkin'. So instead of thinking about a snap-in/out solution for the battery I'm looking at/for a 'gator glip' charger cable or some other light-weight charger connection for the TS (I thought I saw them online somewhere, and OMate was offering them at first - I'd prefer that to the case for workout/outdoor activities where space is a premium). I'm also looking into how to/whether I can set up profiles that are more like "give me what you got" versus "all-day wearer" mode. On the Sony Xperia Z1s there's a "Stamina Mode" which tamps down on battery drain, but can also kill functionality of apps that are not in the foreground (bad news for Panobike cycling cadence meter, etc) so while I have *some* apps exempted from Stamina Mode, when I'm doing a dedicated outing I just switch it off completely - knowing that I'm going to be putting the device on charge by either using one of the portable packs I'm carrying with me - or when I get back to the car.
Anyway, food for thought...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
More success with BT pairing
More success today - got the bt headset (MyVoice 312) paired for calls, plus the jabra sport wireless+ bt headphones for music.... both devices paired and switch automatically when powering on and off.
Galaxy S5 also paired, but no joy with the SWAPPS app. I will keep trying with that, but it's actually a low priority since I have a sim for the TS ($10 per month for second sim with same number as primary sim)
Tonight I hope to try the Endomondo app on the TS paired with the Jabras, since they have a special feature that gives realtime data from the app when pushing a button on the headphones.
I can see it's going to take a while with the TS, but the tech is really good and offers a lot of promise. It's all about expectations I guess.
If the BT goes all intermittent again tonight I will be v disappointed as this is a basic but critical feature.
One problem I have had after exercising is that if you hand/fingers are sweaty then the TS goes nuts when you touch the screen - there really needs a sensitivity option (like on the S5)
Any pointers for best option for gaining Root Access to Omate TS? I notice that you have flashed Loki's 'latest' ROM, so presumably you have Rooted and flashed a Custom Recovery??
Best way to proceed--I would be grateful for a 'Heads-Up'.
BTW--I have, today, just received my October Dev Edition 1 GB 8 Gb 2100 Mhz version--and am looking at flashing Loki's ROM 20140328--is that the one to which you are referring?? or, do you have a different device version?
Any pointers--gratefully received.
I can't help you with the technical nuts and bolts as I am going to keep it all simple and hopefully working. No ROM flashes, install PlayStore and get your BT headset working.
Just that alone gives you a mobile on your wrist which is pretty damn cool for checking email, facebook, text, whatsapp and voice calls. Plus spotify, endomondo and maps!
The keyboard is a problem though, being so sensitive. And if it's raining, forget using it at all - not because of the water resistance, but because the screen just goes crazy with the water drops.
I am going to try Google Search/Voice to see if I can use voice commands on it.
Anyone else had luck with using voice?
haybill said:
Any pointers for best option for gaining Root Access to Omate TS? I notice that you have flashed Loki's 'latest' ROM, so presumably you have Rooted and flashed a Custom Recovery??
Best way to proceed--I would be grateful for a 'Heads-Up'.
BTW--I have, today, just received my October Dev Edition 1 GB 8 Gb 2100 Mhz version--and am looking at flashing Loki's ROM 20140328--is that the one to which you are referring?? or, do you have a different device version?
Any pointers--gratefully received.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey guys, I'm like a dev October backer and I get my watch this week-end. I have just started it today and after reading the lokifish topic I don't think it is a good idea for us to use our watches until we flashed a ROM with a secure kernel (the kernel of the 1/8/2100 is unsecure).
If you want to root your TS there is tons of solutions as it i a mediatek chip.
Can you recommend me a BT Headphone to par with my TS.
Blue-rayer said:
Can you recommend me a BT Headphone to par with my TS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm using Backbeat Go 2 with my TS, I love the "minimalistic" approach to it. When not used I wear them like a necklace (you can attach the earbuds to eachother) and it's not in the way the slightest. It works great for taking phone calls, and I've tried it with both walking, biking and running with no issues. Volume controls, checking battery level, taking calls and such works great from the remote. Battery life is ok:ish, maybe a bit more than 3 hours total listening time. That is if you play music or talk on the phone non-stop, with moderate use (taking a few phonecalls during the day and similar) they last for days.
From what I hear the Backbeat Go 2 is more or less a ripoff of Jaybird Bluebuds X headphone (looks very similar), but the Jaybirds have better battery life, fits more securely in your ear for sporting and such - not that I ever had issues with that. The main thing that made me go with the Backbeat though is that it's about half the price.
Ok thanks. I'm gonna give a look to this.
Headphones
Blue-rayer said:
Can you recommend me a BT Headphone to par with my TS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
After going through two Backbeats (not the Go, think it was 903 or something similar) I can state they are useless for exercising with, no resistance to water or sweat.
I then tried a pair of Philips SHB6017/10 and lasted a month before starting to randomly calling strange numbers due to shorting out. I'm not a sweaty person, honest!
Finally settled on Jabra Sport and they're awesome, have been using them for a year now.
Thanks to Amazon who refunded and replaced every single failed headphone, even sending out the replacements before I'd sent in the dead ones.
Cheers,
Andreas
I was actually playing around with the voice commands, you do have to setup loads of Google Apps, like Google search and Maps etc and give it permission to everything but it does work... I highly recommend using Nova launcher as it places the Mic search option right on the home screen.... which launches Google search... "Ok Google" and you're off.... I'm not sure how to get it to recognise OK Google without first having started the search app... Anyway some of my favourite things to ask for....
Take me home.... (Starts maps navigation)
Play some music (starts Google music and tries to play music)
Order Pizza (finds the nearest dominos)
What is iPhone (reads out definition of an iphone)
I think it is the best fitness companion and here's why.
It has phone.
Heart rate monitor.
Music player with Bluetooth headset.
Light weight.
Tracks steps
GPS.
@NeatSheep
NeatSheep said:
I think it is the best fitness companion and here's why.
It has phone.
Heart rate monitor.
Music player with Bluetooth headset.
Light weight.
Tracks steps
GPS.
@NeatSheep
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think the pedometer on the note 4 is much better then on the gear s. It says I have walked way more then my phone does. Off by about 700 steps from the phone. Watch showing more. I was in the car most of the day today so not sure how I did 2k steps.
rfs830 said:
I think the pedometer on the note 4 is much better then on the gear s. It says I have walked way more then my phone does. Off by about 700 steps from the phone. Watch showing more. I was in the car most of the day today so not sure how I did 2k steps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How much of this is because you literally do not have the phone in your hand as much as the watch on your wrist?
I am coming from the fitbit line and this watch tends to give me less credit the fitbits do.
So, I just get a base line number and improve about it.
Look at the photos. To me the watch is much better
@NeatSheep
By the way it's measuring my steps, speed, location heart rate at the same time with a chart and a map. You can see that in the photos
@NeatSheep
NeatSheep said:
By the way it's measuring my steps, speed, location heart rate at the same time with a chart and a map. You can see that in the photos
@NeatSheep
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I will have to test it out at work as im always walking there. Maybe it is better. I never had a pedometer that was not my phone so maybe this is more accurate.
NeatSheep said:
By the way it's measuring my steps, speed, location heart rate at the same time with a chart and a map. You can see that in the photos
@NeatSheep
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does the s health app give you verbal specs for while you are out? Like split times, or lap times and such?
Yes you you choose an exercise it will start recording the time, distance, speed, calories burned, location on the map and heart rate.
@NeatSheep
The problem with a pedometer on your wrist is that it will register steps just from the movement of you hand. If you are like me and move your hands a lot when you speak, or point a lot at a board (I'm a teacher) it registers way more steps than a pedometer attached to your hip or a phone in your pocket.
I also note that when I'm sitting at my desk, flipping pages of an article or assignment will register steps too ?
To be honest. If it making you move more the it's doing its job. And the normal steps they don't do much and it can tell you the healthy pace that really matters.
And you can only depend on the star an exercise function and it can tell the time you moved so you look at the chart and remove the steps that you know that are not correct.
There is may ways to solve the problem but i say if it's making you feel good and makes to want more and move more then why not.
@NeatSheep
richlum said:
The problem with a pedometer on your wrist is that it will register steps just from the movement of you hand. If you are like me and move your hands a lot when you speak, or point a lot at a board (I'm a teacher) it registers way more steps than a pedometer attached to your hip or a phone in your pocket.
I also note that when I'm sitting at my desk, flipping pages of an article or assignment will register steps too ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had two Nike Fuelbands, and believe you need to look at any wrist device like they do. They all give you "points", whether they call them Fuel or steps, etc. Just establish a baseline and improve from there. I put my hands on my knee during biking at the gym, and get points this way, and don't worry that the elliptical is not real steps either, and I use the poles on this machine instead of keeping my hands stationary on the smaller arm rest handles. Improvement is the key. I lost 88 lbs. this year and credit my Gear 2 very much in helping me push my goals daily. I have it set still at 11000, but today got 16,000 points for example. Have fun with it. I am loving the new Gear S too.
True. If you use it to establish a baseline and set goals, it should be a good way to motivate yourself and improve.
I just laugh when it says I've 8,000 steps and I know if just sat on my ass in the office and car all day
richlum said:
The problem with a pedometer on your wrist is that it will register steps just from the movement of you hand. If you are like me and move your hands a lot when you speak, or point a lot at a board (I'm a teacher) it registers way more steps than a pedometer attached to your hip or a phone in your pocket.
I also note that when I'm sitting at my desk, flipping pages of an article or assignment will register steps too ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have never gotten that to work flipping pages.
Go through a normal day and see the number steps you get. Then set your goal higher than that. Nothing will be perfect, but that gets "you" moving more, and isn't that the goal?
---------- Post added at 08:23 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:22 AM ----------
highlordkram said:
I had two Nike Fuelbands, and believe you need to look at any wrist device like they do. They all give you "points", whether they call them Fuel or steps, etc. Just establish a baseline and improve from there. I put my hands on my knee during biking at the gym, and get points this way, and don't worry that the elliptical is not real steps either, and I use the poles on this machine instead of keeping my hands stationary on the smaller arm rest handles. Improvement is the key. I lost 88 lbs. this year and credit my Gear 2 very much in helping me push my goals daily. I have it set still at 11000, but today got 16,000 points for example. Have fun with it. I am loving the new Gear S too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Congrats! [emoji2]
1) Does it have Nike+ app already?
2) Has anybody used any semi pro watch in the past? Forerunner, ambit? Just wondering how Gear S compared to those devices.
Sent from my SM-N910C using Tapatalk
Yes it has a Nike+
And most pedometer not professional.
I have a Garmin GPS watch. I can compare them together if you want
@NeatSheep
NeatSheep said:
Yes it has a Nike+
And most pedometer not professional.
I have a Garmin GPS watch. I can compare them together if you want
@NeatSheep
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have many questions.. if you can answer - that's nice. I have experience with Garmin Forerunner 620 and Endomondo mobile app. Both suites me fine. And I just want to know if Gear S can replace them.
1) How often would you need to charge it if you would do 1 hour running every second day?
2) Is heartbeat recorded during the running or after the run? Is HB recorded by Nike+ app?
3) Can Nike+ app:
- Show average pace of the last kilometer? (after each km)
- Vibrate or in any other way inform every 1km?
4) In one of the videos I've seen Endomondo icon in Gear S. Have you tried it?
- Can Gear S+Endomondo work without!! the phone? That would be ideal solution for me.
- That stuff Endomondo records during workout? GPS coordinates? Heart rate?
Ok lets see. First i have garmin forerunner 910xt and i stopped using it and replaced it with gear s.
1. I charge my gear s sometimes every 2 days and the fact that the charger has a battery is good for me because sometimes i change it on the way to work.
2. I didnt run with the watch but walked really fast and it kept recording my heart rate during that time.
3. Nike+ works without phone after setup(UPDATE )************
4. Endomondo don't work without the phone
@NeatSheep
If Even Nike+ can't work without a phone - that's a no go for me
Does that mean that only Samsung fitness apps can utilize the mobility and GPS of Gear S?
Sent from my SM-N910C using Tapatalk
NeatSheep said:
Ok lets see. First i have garmin forerunner 910xt and i stopped using it and replaced it with gear s.
1. I charge my gear s sometimes every 2 days and the fact that the charger has a battery is good for me because sometimes i change it on the way to work.
2. I didnt run with the watch but walked really fast and it kept recording my heart rate during that time.
3. and 4. Endomondo and nike+ don't work without the phone
@NeatSheep
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How are you getting away with charging every 2 days? When i use the gear s for my runs it needs a charge every 11 hours.
Ninja, how long are your runs?
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