Sounds like it 'should' work but various reports on the internet, including the official apple site, shows that maybe it doesn't.
Anyone has one?
cigaro78 said:
Sounds like it 'should' work but various reports on the internet, including the official apple site, shows that maybe it doesn't.
Anyone has one?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, thought I'd help with my own thread.
I bought one. Yes it's expensive, but not more expensive than 'foldable' bt keyboards that I tried and unfortunately don't work (as in stuck keys, shoddy fragile designs, etc).
It's VERY SMALL - which is great. The box it comes in is VERY SLIM - doubles up as a carrying case which makes it even more convenient.
The quality is excellent - as you would expect from Apple. It's using AA batteries (comes shipped with them in fact) which a major plus as anyone who travelled to remote places without mains sockets will tell you.
Downside: it's never been intended to work with an Android phone. I have it paired alongside a logitech bt mouse, and yes - IT WORKS - but it also randomly FCs the settings screens. It has NO MAPPING FOR ANDROID - so all function keys are rendered useless. There is an F1 that maps to 'menu' and escape seems random. That's it.
As far as I can tell - no one has come up with a mapping file for it. You cannot map shortcuts to actions on the phone. So no, you WONT be playing nova2 with a WASD setup. You won't even have a working shift key, which is very annoying.
Conclusion:
It's expensive, and it doesn't work so great. Yet, I still can recommend this purchase because 1) other keyboards wouldn't fare better. 2) Chat becomes possible. Word document become possible. When typing mails, forums posts and what not it still trounces the onscreen keyboard.
My Cheapo EBay keyboard also suffers from the lack of a shift key. In my book this makes it all but unusable
unles u r nto txt spk an dont uze punkuashun r commaz r antin like dat, then it's not for you
cigaro78 said:
Well, thought I'd help with my own thread.
I bought one. Yes it's expensive, but not more expensive than 'foldable' bt keyboards that I tried and unfortunately don't work (as in stuck keys, shoddy fragile designs, etc).
It's VERY SMALL - which is great. The box it comes in is VERY SLIM - doubles up as a carrying case which makes it even more convenient.
The quality is excellent - as you would expect from Apple. It's using AA batteries (comes shipped with them in fact) which a major plus as anyone who travelled to remote places without mains sockets will tell you.
Downside: it's never been intended to work with an Android phone. I have it paired alongside a logitech bt mouse, and yes - IT WORKS - but it also randomly FCs the settings screens. It has NO MAPPING FOR ANDROID - so all function keys are rendered useless. There is an F1 that maps to 'menu' and escape seems random. That's it.
As far as I can tell - no one has come up with a mapping file for it. You cannot map shortcuts to actions on the phone. So no, you WONT be playing nova2 with a WASD setup. You won't even have a working shift key, which is very annoying.
Conclusion:
It's expensive, and it doesn't work so great. Yet, I still can recommend this purchase because 1) other keyboards wouldn't fare better. 2) Chat becomes possible. Word document become possible. When typing mails, forums posts and what not it still trounces the onscreen keyboard.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium
I assumed its the A1314 you're talking about?
Related
as the thread title states, i need advice on picking out a bluetooth keyboard for the blackstone.
these are my requirements:
- it must contain a rechargeable battery, i don't want to fumble around with AAA batteries
- it should have a mini-usb connector for charging, so that i can use the same cable for charging the blackstone and the keyboard (micro usb would be ok too, same as my bluetooth handsfree)
- it must be capable of standard bluetooth HID profile, i don't want to be required to install drivers on every device i have
- it should have US-english key layout (i am used to it from my pc and wwe roms) and still be available in germany
- it must either have dedicated arrow keys and/or be capable of accepting two keys at a time (think of game emulators, mario should be able to run and jump at the same time, so jumping in a direction and not straight up)
actually, the last point is my main reason of buying a bluetooth keyboard, to compensate the blackstone's lack of hardware keys and multi-touch through a keyboard, that should provide "multi-touch" (multiple keys pressed).
since the blackstone's microsoft bluetooth stack seems to be unable to connect to wiimotes/ps3 sixaxis controllers with cobaltcontroller and those controllers are even more expensive than bluetooth keyboards, i thought i'd hit double jeopardy by going this way.
long story short: can anyone tell me, whether these keyboards are any good:
http://www.amazon.de/Hebron-Bluetoo...U5MK/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1300287867&sr=8-9
http://www.pearl.de/a-PX2563-1002.shtml?query=bluetooth+keyboard
i know there are also a lot of chinese knock-offs around with very poor quality, but i also don't want to spend 90eur on a logitech dinovo mini. if any of you can name a good quality keyboard for less than 50eur, please feel free to suggest.
ok, resolved.
i bought that hebron keyboard and here is my report to help others decide:
the keyboard has a US-english layout and comes with an internal rechargeble (not replaceable) battery with 950mAh, which, according to the retailers is enough for 30 days of casual from-time-to-time typing. it has a micro-usb connector for charging, comes with a usb charging cable. it came pre-charged and after another 30 min. of charging it was full. pairing was relatively easy, just turn it on in visible mode, on the device look for bluetooth devices, pair it using the code 0000 on the device and the keyboard and they are paired up. all further connections are automatic, when your device has bluetooth switched on, just switch on the keyboard and it immediately works.
since the rubber keys need to be pressed rather deeply, while typing sms, emails or word documents it might be slightly slower than the onscreen keyboard, but buttons are bigger and it is way more convenient for longer texts.
and here is the great thing: the keyboard is able to have several key presses at the same time, so even emulators like fpsece or morphgear work fine with 3 keys at a time.
i realize many people on this board are moping about the blackstone's poor gaming compatibility due to the lack of hardware buttons and/or multitouch, but with a keyboard you can finally play a lot of games rather well.
thanks for the info...
can u use the keybord with your PC aswell????
if u can , what is the range ( how far can u be from your pc to use it)??
thanks, kris
i haven't tried it yet. but the keyboard uses standard bluetooth hid drivers and therefor works on any device to support that standard, i.e. any windows mobile device, android, iphone, ipad, ipod touch, pc and ps3. it comes with a driver cd for pc (which wouldn't be needed on windows 7). as far as the range aspect goes, since i only used it with my blackstone so far, so it would be impractical to use it at a greater distance than 2 or 3' (because you wouldn't be able to see the display ). but usually, the range also depends on the bluetooth receiver of the pc, but i guess any sensible distance of up to 20 or 25' could be covered.
if you are seriously interested in the device, you can order it from your local amazon site and make use of their great return policy, if you are unsatisfied. just stay away from the really cheap chinese knock-offs, they have poor production quality and tend to break really fast, especially the usb charging port, which then renders the device useless.
Anyone tried the Apple Keyboard http://www.amazon.com/Apple-Wireless-Keyboard-Retail-Packaging/dp/B002TMRZOQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1304262090&sr=1-1
Or the Microsoft Bluetooth 6000 Keyboard? http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-2XJ-00001-Bluetooth-Keyboard-6000/dp/B004HVW0ZQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1304262693&sr=1-1
The Apple one looks slimmer. I don't plan on getting the laptop dock from ASUS. Planning on getting a tablet stand for $12 and get a BT keyboard which I can use with other devices too.
I got the apple keyboard to pair but it won't type.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk
My apple keyboard won't type either.
The Asus keyboard will be unbeatable, with the extra battery life and shortcut keys. Plus of course the touch pad.
really? I was hoping my apple keyboard would work until i get the dock
Yes, same here..apple keyboard paired, but no worky.
My apple keyboard didn't work either, I don't think anything apple would work here.
I might give this a shot:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...17145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=B003VAGXZC
Has anybody successfully (worked) paired mouse?
I paired a Dell bt mouse. It worked well even the scroll wheel. The right button is used to hold down so you can do gestures.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk
Dell BT Keyboard and Mouse work. I think the apple devices require special drivers which is probably why they dont work.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using XDA Premium App
For those having issues with Bluetooth, you might want to try this app:
Blue Keyboard IME
It helped me get my MS one working and it has an Apple Layout. It's annoying that you need it, but it may help ya...
any chance this keyboard might pair up?
http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Wir...6A9K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1304367395&sr=8-1
BT Keyboards
If you check out DealExtreme, you can search for "bluetooth android keyboard" and get a decent selection.
Filtering beyond that will depend a lot on your personal preference (ultra mini keyboard/palm sized/full size/collapsing/rollaway/waterproof) plenty of good options!
Most range between $20 - $40
Since I can't post links here are some highlights you can find by SKU:
$24 - SKU 54361 - Small - @ 170 g (works with Android 2.2)
$21.5 SKU 50701 - Very compact/ Very Cool Flexible/Rollup (unsure about Android compatibility)
$26.7 SKU 50407 - 'like mac' keyboard
Just make sure it says "bluetooth" and not "RF".
If you search "Bluetooth keyboard" have a read through the Questions/Answers posted by users for Android compatibility.
$64 But cool 'transforming' Geyes foldable keyboard... link 'pg3nc.tk'
gordec said:
Anyone tried the Apple Keyboard http://www.amazon.com/Apple-Wireless-Keyboard-Retail-Packaging/dp/B002TMRZOQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1304262090&sr=1-1
Or the Microsoft Bluetooth 6000 Keyboard? http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-2XJ-00001-Bluetooth-Keyboard-6000/dp/B004HVW0ZQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1304262693&sr=1-1
The Apple one looks slimmer. I don't plan on getting the laptop dock from ASUS. Planning on getting a tablet stand for $12 and get a BT keyboard which I can use with other devices too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
MS 6000 runs with no problem. I'm running prime1.4
I just got this fake apple keyboard.
http://www.amazon.com/Bluethooth-Ke...?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1312747731&sr=1-16
First impressions are pretty good. Solid build, not as cheap as I thought it would be for the price. It pairs easily and most functions work (volume, media keys, home button, directional arrows, search) but for some reason the shift button doesn't capitalize letters. Caps lock works but I don't see that being an acceptable workaround in the long run. Are there any others who are using an apple layout keyboard that utilizes the shift properly? I've tried bluetooth keyboard app mentioned on the first page but it won't open on the tablet.
I paired the keyboard with my windows 7 box and it works perfectly including the shift.
I should also mention that I am running bone stock, upgraded to 3.2 (haven't had a reason to root yet, I'm pretty surprised!)
But maybe I just found my reason?
Ok, so I have some updates on the generic Apple keyboard in the post above. The shift key does in fact work, it just doesn't stay active while being held down. For example, if I press the shift and another key at the exact same time, it outputs the shifted character. If I press and hold shift, then hit another key as most of us do, it will not register (I found this out by accident while banging the keyboard in frustration)
So know we just have to figure out how to modify the keyboard in Android to "hold" the shift function while the key is depressed.
Thoughts?
MS Bluetooth 6000
I have used the Microsoft Bluetooth 6000 keyboard without any problem. Didn't install the keypad (I might try that later) I can switch between language support as well, the only exception is that I haven't been able to support typing for Japanese yet. I think that is a limitation of the Transformer though.
Logitech Cordless MediaBoard Pro works perfectly as does the touchpad.
Pairs up, works great.
The upper "media" buttons don't work but they won't work for my laptop either.
Go to logitech.com/en-us/keyboards/keyboard/devices/3616
i have the logitech bt keyboard for android...its rather nice. it's design is similar to the apple keyboard.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using xda premium
I bought this one
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004MMESVY/ref=pe_175190_21431760_cs_sce_dp_1
and it works great.
also I have this mouse
http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Blu...1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1325190132&sr=1-1
The Rii Bluetooth Mini Keyboard also works like a charm, both the keyboard and the touchpad. Great for those times when your tablet is hooked up to a big TV and you're too lazy to get off the couch.
http://www.amazon.com/Bluetooth-Wir...3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1325190934&sr=1-3
I just bought Logitech's (I'd assume new) Keyboard for Android! It states Honeycomb or well Android 3.0+ and I can report it worked flawlessly with an Iconia A500 all buttons performed their desired function!
I fortunately had my Flyer at work and decided to give it a whirl, and to my great surprise everything as a general rule worked. A keyboard first and foremost enters text, and the keyboard excelled in this area. The included stand is a nice touch! It pairs simply and easily to the Flyer -> You enable BT -> Search -> enter the PIN displayed onto the keyboard and hit enter and viola it works!
The homescreens can be navigated via arrow keys, and the Search, Back, Mail, and Volume +/- keys worked well. There was no noticeable delay between input and reaction from the Flyer.
OH and Logitech's keyboard comes with a protective case that doubles as a stand for the tablet. It worked great in both portrait and landscape!
I hope to update this post with both Pictures and a short ~2 min YouTube video shot on my Sensation!
So my .02 if you need a keyboard for lengthy input this seems to be a nice bet, and guarantees compatibility once (whenever that may be) the Flyer receives HTC's official Honeycomb!
Also sorry the video isn't quite in the right orientation, perhaps I will shoot another one soon or just let YouTube rotate it which cuts it off a lot!
Links:
Logitech's Website
BestBuy Item Page
That thing looks sweet, the one question I have is how long is that keyboard? It looks rather large.
Sent from my HTC EVO View. 7" of s-off 4g Fury.
The keyboard looks sweet. But, when you use it in landscape mode do the directional arrows work correctly or do they keep the portrait orientation? I've been searching for a good keyboard that I can use in landscape mode.
Sent from my NookColor using Tapatalk
StormMcCloud well seeing as it was designed for 10.1" Tablets it is big, I will
include a comparison to the Flyer!
cclinco sadly it doesn't maintain the correct function in landscape
glitzbd said:
StormMcCloud well seeing as it was designed for 10.1" Tablets it is big, I will
include a comparison to the Flyer!
cclinco sadly it doesn't maintain the correct function in landscape
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow yeah that is no where near portable.
Sent from my HTC EVO View. 7" of s-off 4g Fury.
Portable maybe!
While it appears as if it were not portable I find it isn't a big issue... However my Flyer usually just gets tossed into the backpack and the keyboard drops in nicely next to it... setup can be kinda clumsy... but the stand is such a nice addition I don't mind it at all
StormMcCloud said:
Wow yeah that is no where near portable.
Sent from my HTC EVO View. 7" of s-off 4g Fury.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the same keyboard and I think its pretty portable. Especially with the case it comes with. I just wish the home button worked. I also wish that there was an app where you could make custom launch key combinations for specific applications.
try giving a go to the product mentioned below:
ww . amazon . co . uk /gp/product/B004OWZXEI/ref=oss_product
if the link does not work, just type in "galaxy tab keyboard case". as the name tells, the case is for the galaxy tab but it works %90 perfect with the flyer. i just received it today and i'm glad that i have a case with the keyboard included for my flyer.
the only modification you need to do is to cut out some parts of the holding part of the case in order to create space for the front camera and the navigation buttons while in landscape mode.
but, if you are looking for a keyboard case, to use your flyer just as you would use a laptop with an actual keyboard, this product has been the best i've come close to so far.
I snagged this one last night at Best Buy. It's surprisingly good, especially given how cheap it is. The only downsides are: (1) the fact that it uses disposable batteries, (2) like you said, the home button doesn't work.
There are also some weird things you notice on Gingerbread with a keyboard. For example, there's no good way to scroll a browser. Often apps, especially converted iPhone apps, don't work with the keyboard (these are the same ones that don't work with the trackball). Also, when you hit menu, you choose menu items with up/down arrows, not the more intuitive side-to-side.
Still, I could see the keyboard negating the need to bring a laptop on some overnight trips.
That looks like a very nice keyboard at a good price. I've been using the Verbatim folding keyboard on my Flyer (search Amazon for Verbatim folding bluetooth keyboard). It's great as far as portability is concerned (folds up to slightly shorter than the Flyer) but some keys are oddly shaped (and the space bar is split in two).
If portability is your goal, the Verbatim keyboard works well and is relatively cheap. But for trying comfort, this Logitech keyboard looks like a winner. I could see owning both if you do a lot of writing on your Flyer.
As far as the cursor keys go: it's a real PITA that Android tablets don't compensate for orientation changes (there's a quick 'n dirty $.99 cent app in there for some developer who wants to make a quick buck!) but you do adapt to it eventually.
I should note that on the Honeycomb leak all buttons function as expected, and arrow keys adapt to the orientation
Sent from my HTC Sensation Z710e using xda premium
Xoom owner here. I just picked one of these up after using a basic MS bluetooth on my tablet, and this keyboard is awesome. I don't know if they somehow optimized it for Android but it seems way more responsive than the MS keyoard does.
Whether the Gingerbread issue or not, let's face it, you'll probably have a different tablet in 3/6/9 months, and logic would say all the shortcut keys will be compatible with Android 4.0+. Pick one up, Best Buy's got them pretty cheap for the holiday season. The origami stand is a big bonus once you figure out how to lock it in place. Size-wise it's about the same as the recent Apple keyboards. It's slick. Great purchase.
great news was looking at these earlier.
Looks awesome, I will drop by my local best buy and check it out! Thanks!
Logitech Tablet Keyboard for Android 3.0+
Any hope of this keyboard work on a Nook Color running the latest CM7?
Thanks,
donbga
donbga said:
Any hope of this keyboard work on a Nook Color running the latest CM7?
Thanks,
donbga
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This and most BT keyboards will work with the Color Nook, at close range. But you will probably need a BT app from the market to keep it from sleeping and disconnecting every few minutes. Check the Nook forum on XDA for more info.
DigitalMD said:
This and most BT keyboards will work with the Color Nook, at close range. But you will probably need a BT app from the market to keep it from sleeping and disconnecting every few minutes. Check the Nook forum on XDA for more info.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I've got a Logitech K360 but I've not been able to get the NC to detect the keyboard.
Do I need Null Keyboard or some other BT app or forget the K360? The Logitech webpage implies that it may work. As for the range that's not a big issue for me, I'm particularly looking for a BT keyboard that I can use in terminal mode and e-mail.
Thanks,
donbga
Are you sure you have properly enabled BT? The NC should detect any BT keyboard and pair, but it will go to sleep and disconnect after a few seconds when typing sometimes unless u use null keyboard or other. NC BT range is only about 1 foot
DigitalMD said:
Are you sure you have properly enabled BT? The NC should detect any BT keyboard and pair, but it will go to sleep and disconnect after a few seconds when typing sometimes unless u use null keyboard or other. NC BT range is only about 1 foot
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1) BT is enabled on the NC.
2) Device set to discoverable.
3) Discoverable timeout set to 1 Hour.
4) Logitech K360 verified as functioning by connecting to a PC with dongle inserted.
5) PC turned off/dongle removed.
6) K360 powered off.
7) Scan for devices started.
8) K360 turned on, scanning seems to stop.
9) Null Keyboard not installed.
10) Default keyboard pops up for Market search and no input from K360 displayed.
Should Null Keyboard be installed? Stupid question perhaps but just checking.
Thanks,
donbga
Bangs head against table...............
There's yer problem Vern....
Logitec K360 is NOT Bluetooth. Dongle was the clue..........
I've installed a Parrot Asteroid (digital media head unit with hands free calling) in my wife's VW Passat and think it might be one of the best purchases I've made this year. Install on the Passat (2001.5) was almost plug and play. The only change I had to make was switching Battery and ACC on harness. The antenna adapter (unpowered) is a standard item and was available from a local source.
With CM9 (nightly 0508 currently) USB and Bluetooth tethering work.
Contacts are shared with the Asteroid and voice dialing is accurate (the Parrot seems to grok what I am saying).
Music selection (media on SDHC card in Parrot) via voice is failrly accurate but I have noticed a few inaccurate responses.
Hands-free calling is crystal clear and the music quality is awesome.
Some have reported buggy or defective units, but I have had no trouble with it over the last week with my I777. We'll see what happens with my wife's iPhone...
I am considering same setup into my 2004 Passat. Thanks for posting the picture, that certainly clears my concerns about how does it look in the car as the console is same as yours.
How is sound compared to original VW radio you had before?
Do you mind if I ask you to share with us what components went into your install beside of course the Asteroid? Especially what adapter for the wiring harness you used.
I am using (primarily) Galaxy Nexus on CM9, so I'm pretty confident hooking the Asteroid to the phone shouldn't be a problem. Thanks in advance!
Edit: forgot to ask about button backlight - from what I see on the Internet it seems to be white, is it adjustable so it can be made to match the OEM backlight on the Passat (red)?
leobg said:
I am considering same setup into my 2004 Passat. Thanks for posting the picture, that certainly clears my concerns about how does it look in the car as the console is same as yours.
How is sound compared to original VW radio you had before?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In my opinion (these things being subjective), the sound is excellent. Like most Android devices, the Asteroid has a built in equalizer and other sound tweaks. Much better than stock.
Do you mind if I ask you to share with us what components went into your install beside of course the Asteroid? Especially what adapter for the wiring harness you used.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe all B5.5 Passats use a ISO connector for the stock stereo. The included Parrot wiring harness adapter works out of the box. I only had to flip Battery and Switched Power (ACC). The Parrot adapter is designed to allow quick changes to these leads and this is documented in the included instructions. The only thing I had to buy was the antenna adapter. I picked that up for about $15 US. I used the unpowered version.
I am using (primarily) Galaxy Nexus on CM9, so I'm pretty confident hooking the Asteroid to the phone shouldn't be a problem. Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
CM9 works quite nicely with the Parrot with one caveat. Bluetooth audio was great (both music and hands free calling). No problems with pairing so far. I tried connecting my SGS2 USB storage to the Parrot but it is not recognizing the SGS2 mass storage (micro SD card). This is not a show stopper for me as I have a 32GB SDHC card installed in the Asteroid.
Edit: forgot to ask about button backlight - from what I see on the Internet it seems to be white, is it adjustable so it can be made to match the OEM backlight on the Passat (red)?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No such luck from what I have seen. You have have a choice of white, white, or white. You can adjust the intensity of control backlight and LCD backlight for 'Day' and 'Night' modes. 'Day' and 'Night' modes are toggled by a long press on the 'Parrot' button.
The Asteroid is not perfect but it seems to be the only device of its kind at the moment. I am surprised that more car stereo companies are not leveraging Android into their equipment lineup. Both OEM and aftermarket vendors seem to be utterly clueless when it comes to emerging technologies. Who uses CD (or for that matter DVD's) anymore?
When we bought our Passat I was shocked and appalled that the head unit had a CASSETTE deck! There was a CD changer in the trunk but that meant pulling over to change CD's. Clueless, utterly clueless...
In any case, good luck. The install is pretty easy. Do some research on some of the issues some seem to experience with the Asteroid. I have not seen any major problems on firmware 1.5 as yet but your mileage may vary.
*Edit: One other thing -- the Asteroid does not fit flush with the dash like the stock head unit. It sticks out approximately 1/4 inch. Aside from doing major work to modify the dash, I could not think of any way to make the Parrot fit flush. It does not bother me, but it may pose aesthetic issues for you. I actually have grown to like it. It makes finding controls easy without taking my eyes off the road.
Oh -- and one last thing. This 38 second video is priceless for removing the stock head unit.
http://youtu.be/KNSYBSGzUuQ
One last edit -- here is the antenna adapter. $7 through Amazon.
http://goo.gl/39rIO
Thanks a bunch!! So your 2001.5 came with the singe DIN unit. B5.5's 2002 onward ship with double DIN unit, so I would need to find a tray to place in (and fill up the gap) which will be very handy as I could keep the phone (or other junk in there. I've heard Parrot is coming up with a double din unit with slightly extended functionality: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/08/parrot-asteroid-ck-asteroid-nav-asteroid-2din-infotainment-sys/. They mention late 2012 availability, wondering if I want to hold my horses for that one. Since it doesn't have physical buttons to require backlight, there won't be an issue with the look, but I like the buttons and especially the rotary ones, so this (for me) is as disadvantage as much as advantage. And probably the cost will double. Though integrated Google maps navigation would be terrific! Decisions, decisions...!
Yeah. The stock unit was single DIN. I believe you can buy the pocket if you have a double DIN OEM head unit and want to install a single DIN.
I like having physical controls -- perhaps I am getting old. The lack of apps does not particularly distress me.
I'd like to use the Parrot UNIKA steering controls interface but it does not look like B5.5 Passat is supported yet.
By the way, I'm listening to one of your (Canadian) exports today -- a band by the name of Elliott Brood from Toronto. Not bad for Canadian hacks. ;-)
http://www.elliottbrood.ca/
All the best,
Edward
Does anyone have any experience/recommendations for an Android-based car stereo head unit? My old stereo has just died, so I am interested in what people think of the currently available ones. I have a double din space.
eBay seems to have several available that are similar to this: http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/15/ca-fi-is-an-aftermarket-android-car-stereo-that-wont-fit-in-you/
There are ones where the Android part is essentially a separate tablet (probably not what I'm after, judging by the videos) http://www.erisin.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=253
Parrot make this single-din stereo: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Parrot-Aste...?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1343930713&sr=1-24
There are no doubt many others too. Prices seem to be in the £200 - £280 range which is about my limit.
Nobody has any experience of these or opinions at all?
I think I'm leaning towards the Parrot as it's rootable, and the single-din size is more likely to fit whatever car I get after my current one.
Bump for this thread. I just recently thought about getting into one of these units too, my only concern is how "locked down" they would be in terms of getting rid of their default launchers and crap they have. I basically want a way to just have android by itself running on the car - I can get apps for just about everything else. Ideally I want a clone of my phone on the car that would sync with my phone. Or better yet, simply a way to have a "remote display" for my phone. That way, anything I'm doing on the car side of things would be the same on my phone, like a received email, new internet bookmark, or something like that.
~T.J.
I just picked up a "Road Cyberman" from China Jiaho (actually they call it something else, but it's the same as Chinavasion's Road Cyberman, except $100 cheaper).
It's running Gingerbread 2.3.5 and proving difficult to root. No adb on the usb (even with debug option), no google apps (although I found some apks that sort of work) and no adb wireless available.
The devices works fine, but I would like to have a little bit more control over it.
I've tried Gingerbreak and the other get root apks, but no luck so far.
Yeah, I have seen a lot of those units, but I kind of changed my mind. I have recently been looking into doing something like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Q-UXDi3dm3U
I have been following that company for a while, and they just recently released that video and are taking pre-orders for the new board. My biggest hold up at this point is that I would like to use a single DIN stereo for the "amp" by running the audio from their device into the aux input of my existing stereo. I need to find room to mount both the double DIN screen and a custom spot for the single DIN stereo I already have. I would then have the choice of using the stereo without plugging in the phone if I didn't want to for whatever reason. Alternatively, if I can find a good FM tuner app for my phone and a good customizable dock mode, I could eliminate the stock stereo and just run the inputs into a standard automotive 4 channel amp. This of course means you get nothing for a car stereo unless you connect the phone though, unlike the other plan.
Of course, another thought I had was getting a used double DIN touch screen DVD player and using their interface board to convert it to run the Android screen through it, then run the audio straight into the aux input of the touch screen DVD player. That way you have the ability to use the system "as is" out of the box, OR run the Android device through the screen. I think this is the best option, but it also takes the most money since you have the expense of the used double DIN touch screen unit first. I also wonder about picture quality and touch screen sensitivity with the built in touch screens on those units.
Anyway, just food for thought!
~T.J.
EDIT: One of the other hold ups is the calling. I would like to use an external mic and have audio come through the car speakers, currently using that board you are still calling through the device, thus you would need a Bluetooth headset from my understanding. I would like to avoid that if possible also. This is another good reason to go with the double DIN stereo since some of those support Bluetooth calling already and you could probably make/receive calls that way completely hands free.
EDIT #2: If you were into car monitoring and such also, you could easily get a bluetooth OBD interface and run the software on the phone (such as torque) so you could display live data from your car on your dash also. Something like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ay-ZvTn3fLo&t=45s
I picked up one of these after my buddy sent me this thread. It's got the power, but needs a root bad. Wish I knew how to find root for an Android device.
http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17228