Related
A friend wanted to know if he could use his android tablet as a headset, and after some searching it looks like quite a few people would like this.
So I was sondering if this is possible, I am new to Android development and I have been playing around with the Bluetooth samples and cannot seem to figure out how to make other devices see Android as a headset.
So my main question is- Is it possible to make a app that would disguise an android device as a headset so it could receive calls and maybe even dial number?
I would like to clarify that I am not asking anyone to make this program, I am just a curious developer that would like to know if this is even possible with the Android SDK
The main use if i make this app is for people who can't afford the data plan that is required when buying a smartphone from a carrier. So if this person has a small android MID they can pair it with their dumb phone and essentially use their MID as a phone.
I am searching for the same thing too. Any ideas?
im searching the same without luck!
yup, i brought this back from the dead because I'd love to have this work. I'm currently in a project to integrate my tablet in my car and having the tablet show up to the phone as a bluetooth handsfree/headset is quite literally the last piece of the puzzle for me.
If OEM headunits and nav units can do it (phonebook, dialing, texting, etc) then two android devices should be able to do it even easier. I cant believe no one figured this out yet honestly.
Questions or Problems Should Not Be Posted in the Development Forum
Please Post in the Correct Forums & Read the Forum Rules
Moving to Q&A
I'm in the same boat. Planning to use an Acer Iconia a100 as my car stereo\sat nav\head unit. Until I find a way to have it seamlessly pair with my phone, I'm kinda stuck. Cheap 'ol Walmart head units will do it, but an Android tablets seems to be totally unable to function as a handsfree.
I'm unfamiliar with the bluetooth stack, but I'm thinking that the software is altered to work with specific hardware, so a universal app to enable a tablet to act as a handsfree unit might not be a simple matter. If anyone comes up with one, I'll pay for it gladly. If there is a bounty out there, I'll pitch in on that, too.
It would seem reasonable that you could buy a replacement power supply for a current product from the manufacturer wouldn't it? Start on Viewsonic's web site. Try using the store - ha-ha. Now call the number. Get referred to another number. Call that number - get referred to another number. rinse and repeat. Go to their website to the gtablet page. Read call this number 866-501-6405 for anything you need. Get referred to another number call that number - get referred to another number - rinse and repeat. Get frustrated - call their corporate headquarters in Wlanut, CA. Ask for the name of the president so you can send a letter. Get told they can't give it to you for security reasons - but it is on the web. Get hung up on. Sadly, I really like my g-tablet but this is an awful company to deal with. I wonder what will happen if I need a replacement battery - will I be told to go to Radio Shack to find something that fits (like I was told to do for the power supply)? I'm really enjoying the g-tab but I can tell you that when it comes time to replace it, it won't be with another Viewsonic product. Anyone can sell you something - it is how they support it that separates the good companies from the bad. I feel better posting this and maybe someone has had a better experience but looking at the struggles here to get power supplies and docking stations, I'm going to guess that no one has much good to say about dealing with Viewsonic. Surprise me!
Unfortunately I will have to agree. Since day one the support has been far less than you would expect. There have even been times when they have referred to XDA to help out. Basically US Merchants buys from China, Viewsonic buys from US Merchants, and no one really know who's supposed to support it. I will have to say that's the beauty of open source and some of the people that are here. More times than not you can get support right here if you don't mind doing a little digging. I've only been playing with android's for about 8 months now and know more than I ever needed or wanted to all because of XDA.
But honestly, isn't that the way we've become accustomed to support? No one ever calls Microsoft anymore, we use Google.
It's truly a shame that you can't get a straight forward answer when trying to replace something so simple. I apologies on behalf of the business owners that still give a s**t.
it2steve said:
But honestly, isn't that the way we've become accustomed to support? No one ever calls Microsoft anymore, we use Google.
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That is because half the tech notes for MS are "Can not be found" when it comes to errors and such
Google search allows you to reach out to users who no these things first hand. That is why I always make a point if I can not find an answer to a question, even on line and I finally figure it out myself to post it somewhere so someone else can be helped by it.
I did that here on XDA and getting ADB to work on my win 7 64bit system. All the help was on 32b this and that. I finally figured it our myself and wrote a tutorial for others that "will" need it.
Viewsonic is a very big company that is dabbling in android based tablets that at least with thegtab did not design. I would also argue that the cost/price is such they don't really know where this is going.
same with all the other tab makers save on, the apple. Think about apple's model with iTunes, what I call a consumption model. They can actually give away the ipad at cost because they can get it from the model.
now in order for company's like viewsonic to compete they need to provide all accessories and have a hook. We know from the official viewsonic Rep that they are thinking about some kind of development site, makes no money and meanwhile Steve has to bring in accessories because viewsonic dropped the ball. So yes, basically unsupported. A lot cheaper for the hardware though.
I don't see another development site as a good thing. Viewsonic needs to spend its energies on marketing the apple way or just stick with monitors. Maybe they look at the gtab as a monitor. But we know that can't be because the screen is not in usual viewsonic quality. I'm sure they saw the ztab as quick entry and OEM'd, it.
I've got to agree..
I've been trying to find a source for the mini-vga cable for the ViewPad 10. Support told me to go to Best Buy. When I pressed them on exactly what to purchase they admitted they did not know and that Besy Buy probably did not carry them. Support handed me off to the parts dept.
Parts pointed me to a cable designed for the Viewpad 100, which was a product released in 2001. When I asked if he was sure if they cable would work, he said "probably". When I noted the website said the product was 'out of stock' he said "order it anyway, that will tell us we need more". Since the conversation did not exactly instill my confidence in the parts dept I did not order the $20 cable.
I'm still looking for a mini-vga cable for the ViewPad 10 if anyone can point me in the right direction.
Craig
So yeah, we all know asus botched the GPS in their latest tablet,
they denied us a fix (irony) and now we're left to pick up the pieces ourselves.
Does anyone have some pointers on how to get a bluetooth GPS receiver to work on the prime?
I have a really old one (+7yrs) that doesn't seem to catch on with any of the apps I tried.
Its so old its unlikely to be compatible with anything android so a new one is in order,
so I was wondering if anyone knew a cheap one I could grab to get some GPS going.
In a quick search I found this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/BT-Mini-Mob...408?pt=AU_GPS_Accessories&hash=item4160a71b08
It certainly is cheap, but is it a viable receiver?
Any help towards getting GPS on my prime would be greatly appreciated!
(No I dont have a GPS phone..)
Cheers,
- Sven
Him.. I would be a bit leery of that thing. Something seems a little.. anemic? Get it, try it, report back as I would be curious how well it works and how long the battery lasts. Check Amazon for "Keychain Bluetooth GPS Receiver" if you want something like that and read some reviews.
I have read very good things about the Pharos GPS brand.
Naturally, you then need an app from the market on your tablet that talks to the unit so that you can get the GPS data it has sent to your tablet. So, it is not just as simple as pairing the 2 BT devices, an app is needed to then gather and use the data on the tablet.
Ive looked into those apps, they do something called mock location I think?
I have an old as hell GPS receiver but alas the apps weren't having it.
It pairs as normal, even does the 0000 password thing like it used to on my win mobile 2003,
but it simply isn't pumping out any data, not sure whats going wrong.
And yeah, the pricetag on that ebay one is raising some "this cant be decent" flags on my end too.
Then again some of the cheap Chinese crappery has surprised me before.
If at all possible id prefer buying a tried-and-true GPS unit though.
Pharos brand IGPS 500 has been talked about many times here alone in the Prime threads.
Assuming it is this thing, I find the price a bit steep,
for 90 bucks you can pretty much buy a standalone tomtom or similar.
I was hoping for someone to confirm wether or not the specs listed on that ebay receiver would be compatible and workable for navigation,
and if it could in theory work, id gladly be the guineapig to try it out and see how it goes.
But if it would be a dud per definition there'd be no point.
Shop around my friend, I can see some on ebay for $50 and used for much much less.
The one on eBay does "in theory" work. Like I said, search Amazon and read some reviews on those little keychain models.
Sokonomi said:
Ive looked into those apps, they do something called mock location I think?
I have an old as................................................
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Just FYI regarding 'mock locations'. That's actually a setting in the TF201 that you have to use with external gps units. I can use Google Navigation on my TF201 with data from my phone gps via wifi (using the TetherGPS program that is available in the market). In order to make it work I have to turn on 'Allow mock locations' by going to Settings, Applications, Development and then click 'Allow mock locations'.
Good luck, and let us know how it goes.
I have tried and tried and tried to get my Droid to tether GPS but have not been able to make it happen - tried many apps and many settings. I can, however, tether 3G and data all day long. Have not yet solved the GPS via my phone yet as we have great GPS units in our phones already.. generally speaking.
Yes, many used ones, even one for 29 bucks, but "ya'll yanks" dont like us Dutchies.
None of em are willing to ship to the Netherlands so im plum out of luck with ebay and pharos.
Local shops here dont seem to carry Pharos products at all, so that's two dead ends on that one im afraid.
Amazon doesn't seem to carry any keychain GPS units.
So meanwhile I went to one of my favorite cheap swag suppliers, deal extreme.
http://www.dealextreme.com/p/65-cha...king-bluetooth-gps-receiver-data-logger-26337
What do you guys think of this thing? Its acing the reviews it seems.
They also mention google maps working with it somehow, so there may be a good chance?
Sokonomi said:
Yes, many used ones, even one for 29 bucks, but "ya'll yanks" dont like us Dutchies.
None of em are willing to ship to the Netherlands so im plum out of luck with ebay and pharos.
Local shops here dont seem to carry Pharos products at all, so that's two dead ends on that one im afraid.
Amazon doesn't seem to carry any keychain GPS units.
So meanwhile I went to one of my favorite cheap swag suppliers, deal extreme.
http://www.dealextreme.com/p/65-cha...king-bluetooth-gps-receiver-data-logger-26337
What do you guys think of this thing? Its acing the reviews it seems.
They also mention google maps working with it somehow, so there may be a good chance?
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Click to collapse
Yes, they certainly do, here is just 1 http://www.amazon.com/Freedom-Input-Keychain-GPS-2000/dp/B0010NQ08M maybe not in the price you want, but they do carry several models.
Not only that, Amazon has the pharos IGPS new and used and if you can shop there, you can buy there. I would take the proven pharos in same price range over an unproven model any day.
Lock-N-Load said:
Yes, they certainly do, here is just 1 http://www.amazon.com/Freedom-Input-Keychain-GPS-2000/dp/B0010NQ08M maybe not in the price you want, but they do carry several models.
Not only that, Amazon has the pharos IGPS new and used and if you can shop there, you can buy there. I would take the proven pharos in same price range over an unproven model any day.
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Phobos is an American thing it seems, I cant shop at amazon.com either.
Although I agree with you that it is worth paying a little more if its a proven fix,
I cant get my hands on them so they are definitely out.
The 99 dollar keychain one probably doesn't resemble the 12 dollar one much.
bluetooth gpa
am using holux blue tooth gps receiver with bluegps program from market and have full gps functionality on prime.
adhuc0214 said:
am using holux blue tooth gps receiver with bluegps program from market and have full gps functionality on prime.
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Could you please specify which type you have?
Dealextreme seems to offer this brand, so I can get one if it really works well.
http://www.dealextreme.com/p/holux-m-1000-32-channel-bluetooth-car-gps-receiver-25563
Yeah, if your going to post a brand you have used with success here, PLEASE try to include the model - that would be super helpful.
Notice how the Holux says "32 parallel satellite-tracking channels for fast acquisition and reacquisition" and that one on Amazon is 51 (2x the price) and the Pharos does not say.
That other one on dealextreme even boasts 65 sats. Thats a helluva lot of sats.
Unfortunately its impossible to know if its actually compatible.
I did email the manufacturer about android compatability,
but the site was full of chinglish so dont expect an answer.
Sokonomi said:
That other one on dealextreme even boasts 65 sats. Thats a helluva lot of sats.
Unfortunately its impossible to know if its actually compatible.
I did email the manufacturer about android compatability,
but the site was full of chinglish so dont expect an answer.
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Click to collapse
The thing is, there is no reason why it would not be "android compatible". These BT type GPS devices are BT devices. So, if they use a current BT standard - which they should - your fine. A BT type GPS is not made to be manufacturer specific. That is the point and beauty of them. They are for tablets, phones, computers, whatever. So that is not even a question worth asking.
The only things you should care about is the quality and name of the brand you choose and the software app you choose to put on your tablet. The tablet app you use is likely way more critical as it is what will do all of the work in sending the GPS signals to your tablet. The BT GPS unit is kind of just dumb in terms of who it is talking to and who talks to it. It does not really care. It has a current BT chip inside to communicate with a BT device - and so does your tablet. The software is going to be crucial as much as the quality of the GPS unit.... point is there is no "android compatible" BT GPS unit per se. These units are made to work with phones, laptops, tablets and more. It is brand dumb.
Every unit talked about here so far should 100% work. IF they do not, it is likely (1) a GPS quality issue - hence a $14 BT GPS keychain versus a $50-100 model or (2) the tablet software you pick to connect the 2 to talk.
If I could post a link I'd send you to the GPS over BT thread in the Android Forums. I'm still a few post shy of linking externally here.
theandies said:
If I could post a link I'd send you to the GPS over BT thread in the Android Forums. I'm still a few post shy of linking externally here.
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Thanks.. getting it done is not so much of an issue - tons of places on the web explain it. The software exists in the market as well. Really, it is first about picking the desired BT GPS unit of choice - I think that is the goal here first.
I know theres tons of apps for it, but its not as universal as it all sounds.
My receiver is proof of that unfortunately.
I think ill order the keychain one just for laughs,
we might get pleasantly surprised.
Sokonomi said:
I know theres tons of apps for it, but its not as universal as it all sounds.
My receiver is proof of that unfortunately.
I think ill order the keychain one just for laughs,
we might get pleasantly surprised.
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Click to collapse
I say go for it. Try it and see. Not a real huge loss if not. If not, sell it on craigslist and get your money back.
BUT, your not entirely correct. You self admit "I have a really old one (+7yrs)" - do you (1) realize how old that is in tech and (2) I bet that thing uses way old BT technology as just 1 possible reason why (not to mention GPS standards). Point is, my comment above is most certainly related to current & modern technology so needs that obvious context - not a piece from 2005
Good Day,
For those users who are suffering from the WiFi/BT fallout issue please PM me with your unit serial number so we can verify the firmware version on your unit to confirm our replication findings.
Issue -
1. WiFi and BT turned on and active.
a. Stream a media source via WiFi for playback to a BT device (headphones, speakers, etc) and the signal degrades to the point where the streaming source stops and requires a reset to the BT device. This is the most common problem reported although using several BT devices (keyboard, mouse, headset) and using the Internet Browser to simply view media content has also been reported as a problem when using BT input devices.
Sincerely,
Gary
1/15/12 Update - Thank you to the users who have submitted their serial numbers. We will start investigating the production dates and firmware revision late today. Hopefully, I can start responding to these users early this week. As for users not experiencing this particular drop out yet are still not experiencing full WiFi capabilities we will investigate these serial numbers and firmware revisions shortly. I will also provide recommendations for router settings in the near future.
1/17/12 Update - We are still going through the serial numbers submitted and will probably have an engineer or technical specialist reach out to discuss system setup and check a few settings. I will contact a sampling of users who submitted their serial numbers for this follow up.
1/18/12 Update - We are contacting another subset of users today for verification of the dropout on certain configurations. I should have an update in the near future regarding this problem.
1/19/12 Update - Well, not really an update as we are awaiting test results from returned units and users with replacement units. In addition, I fully expect Service and Engineering to finalize an action plan in the very near future for the units with the drop out problem.
Just a reminder, for those I or engineering did not contact directly yet about this problem, it does not mean we are ignoring your problem. We have read all the messages so please do not be upset if we have not contacted you yet.
1/22/12 Update - I will have updates tomorrow and a new communication system with forum members headed up by a dedicated staff.
1/23/12 Update - We are finalizing a service side solution for the WiFi/BT dropout problem and hopefully it can be rolled out shortly. We will directly contact another set of users for direct communication with our engineering staff starting tomorrow.
1/25/12 Update - We are working on two different solutions now and hope to have a fix available in early February.
1/31/12 Update - We are continuing testing on firmware updates and review of hardware returns due to inconsistencies between units that work properly and those that do not. I will have an update tomorrow.
2/2/12 Update - Sorry for the delay. We met again with the wireless engineering group today to discuss the inconsistencies between units that work properly and those that do not along with potential solutions beyond rework or replacement. In addition, we are discussing with the service team to setup a direct communication address and procedure (as we did with the serial number not found problem) for users with the dropout problem. As soon as I have additional information I will post it here first.
2/7/12 Update - We should have an announcement/plan in a couple of days for users suffering from the WiFi/BT dropout problem or severe WiFi dropouts.
2/8/12 Update - We pushed 9.4.2.13 early to address the random lock and reboot issues plus you might see general improvements in performance including WiFi and maybe even aGPS. For users still experiencing the drop out problem with WiFi/BT enabled, we expect to release a statement shortly (edited for clarification).
2/13/12 Update -
For users experiencing the WiFi/BT dropout (complete dropout) issue we will have an update tomorrow for owners of those units.
2/14/12 Update -
For North American users with the WiFi/BT dropout problem (WiFi on, BT on, stream media through a BT connection and the signal drops out completely) that have not had their unit repaired or exchanged we ask that you please send the following information to [email protected] :
Subject: <TF201 WiFi/BT Dropout – Your Contact Name>
Body:
Name: Your Customer Name
Phone: A contact phone number
Email: Your Email address
SN#: Your TF201 Serial Number
A customer care representative or technician will take your information, contact you and might ask you to walk through a short procedure to verify the problem. We plan on reworking these particular units with a dedicated line process or worst case, exchanging the units. If you do not hear from a customer care representative or technician within 72 hours, please PM me the above information and I will have an intimate discussion with the service group.
If you are in a region other than North America, please contact your local service team.
In addition, we will have a new OTA update next week. .15 Released.
3/6/2012 Update:
I am back and will start answering messages.
3/8/2012 Update:
Users who RMA'd their units for the BT/WiFi fallout issue and are still waiting on repairs should receive an update status on or around 3/12~3/13. Additional units and replacement parts will be at the service depots by 3/12.
5/31/2012 Update:
If you are still suffering from any BT/WiFi fallout issues, please contact Tien at ASUS_USA for problem resolution.
Bump as this is very important. My Pm has been sent to you Gary.
Hi Gary, I was planning on buying the Prime (when release in France) and use my BT with it but then I read about this issue which is a deal breaker for me so I cancelled my order.
If you can assure us that this is a software issue and will be fixed I ll gladly order back the Prime.
Sent from my HTC Desire using xda premium
PM Sent.
Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk
You've got a PM sir
I sent a PM as well. I'm not sure I'm seeing the same issue, but it was pretty closely related so I thought I should. I was attempting to run OnLive with a bluetooth controller connected and OnLive just slowed to a crawl with bluetooth on. Once I turned it off things were back to normal and it ran fine.
PM sent.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk
PM as well!
Much obliged.
Gary Key said:
Good Day,
For those users who are suffering from the WiFi/BT fallout issue please PM me with your unit serial number so we can verify the firmware version on your unit to confirm our replication findings.
Issue -
1. WiFi and BT turned on and active.
a. Stream a media source via WiFi for playback to a BT device (headphones, speakers, etc) and the signal degrades to the point where the streaming source stops and requires a reset to the BT device. This is the most common problem reported although using several BT devices (keyboard, mouse, headset) and using the Internet Browser to simply view media content has also been reported as a problem when using BT input devices.
Sincerely,
Gary
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Click to collapse
Hi Gary does this mean that there is a solution for this problems?
PM sent, Gary.
Hopefully something can be done about this because otherwise, it's a great tablet.
PM Sent. Love the tablet, I just want it to work. Hope you all can help.
domain90 said:
Hi Gary does this mean that there is a solution for this problems?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does it say that anywhere in his message? No. It says they've been able to reproduce it and are looking to confirm which serial #'s are affected. If they think they've tracked it down to a production issue and the serial #'s don't match up, they know they need to keep looking.
PM sent. Thanks Mr. Key.
Oh...lol now everyone wants to jump on this thread when its been up here since noon or so. That's why I bumped it hoping it would finally catch peoples attention vs. All those other b.s. threads. THIS thread is a major step in the right direction. ASUS is trying to address the issues as you can see. THANKS again Gary.
PM sent as well. Please get back to us soon.
EDIT: As of my Prime updating to ICS, I no longer have any Wifi issues or any at all for that matter. Have yet to try GPS but I could care less about GPS to be honest.
Thank you Gary! PM Sent!
PM sent thanks so much Gary!
Also sent a PM, also got a response earlier, this guy Gary really sounds like he'd like to help, so let's try and give him all the info he needs and help him help us. Below I've included the majority of my message to him to also share with the forum in an attempt to help us identify affected batches, scenarios and solution. Thanks again Gary! AWESOME device, lets make it perfect!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SN: BC0KAS022982 WIFI MAC ADDRESS: 54:04:A6:4E:C6:F7 Android Version: 4.0.3 GPS Version: V6.8.13 WIFI Version: V6.1.1.17 Bluetooth Version: V9.23 Camera Version: TF201-0x9900 Touch panel version: MXT-2.0 build 170 Kernel Version: 2.6.39.4 [email protected]#1 Build number: IML74K.US_epad-9.4.2.7-20120106 Pad EC Version: TF201-PAD-0214
If you need any more info or beta testers, let me know. (Also, an unlocking tool would be cool, I imagine it's in the pipeline after fixing issues...)
Thanks again for helping us out with this!
The following below is a copy of my Tuesday message: -----------------------------------------------------------------Hello again Gary. We spoke last week regarding BT/Wifi as well as GPS issues. I'd like to follow up with my experiences regarding the ICS updates.
All issues remain unchanged. While I personally have never had an issue with Wifi by itself (granted I'm in a fairly small house so my range requirements aren't too much), the BT/WIFI interference issue still exists the same as it did before. Same with the GPS. I have attached 2 screenshots showing both the typical, unable-to-lock situation showing high SNR (good signal) as well as a successful lock at a slightly lower SNR across the board. Both screenshots are indoors, as I seem to have the same luck indoors and out and I'd rather not be cold. It's also losing all satellites randomly as before. However, this issue is not my main concern (though I see it as important nonetheless, particularly knowing the aluminum isn't responsible for the instability, it is much more likely in software given it can get a decent signal, but not hold it).
Screenshots: http://www.multiupload.com/EQ0TLSBU80
My main concern is the BT/Wifi interference. I don't believe I'm alone in this, as I could agree that most will not use GPS for navigation, I believe MANY people want to use BT headphones (especially given the weak speaker) while watching netflix, hulu, etc, or even just listening to music while browsing the internet. I believe this should be the main concern for your development teams going forward. I did want to mention that in my digging around forums and teardowns I believe the TF201 uses 2 wifi controllers, one by azurewave? and the other, most likely not meant to be active, is also embedded within the GPS/BT/Wifi chip (Broadcom). I would not be surprised if the issue between BT and Wifi has something to do with either the interaction between these controllers (maybe both wifi radios are active and are freaking each other out, when only the azurewave should be active for wifi and the broadcom for BT)
I would greatly appreciate you forwarding the following link to your development team for them to at least look at and see if there might be something of use: http://forum.xda-developers.com/show...1433699&page=2 This is the thread where I found evidence of the 2 wifi controllers.
Regarding some of the 'crazy' threads going on right now with people saying they think they deserve the new tf700, I think that's going way overboard and completely unrealistic, HOWEVER, if a redesigned backplate for the tf201 is a possibility I think a lot of people here would be extremely grateful and the people bashing asus would turn on a dime.
Again, I greatly appreciate you being here on these boards as well as your help with resolving his matter. I was optimistic that ICS would at least resolve the BT/Wifi issue and I won't lie, I'm extremely disappointed in Asus at the moment. I am however still very glad to have a contact here on the forums and hope we can work together to resolve some of these issues. In the meantime, since I am running DD-WRT and have access to a large set of options to play with, I'll be doing just that to see if by chance its an issue of what channel you're on or something to that effect that might resolve the BT/Wifi Issue. Thank you again for your help and facilitation of communication to the Asus devs that have the power to make this device the great device it should be!
(Channel changes and other router settings could SLIGHTLY reduce but never eliminate the problem)
Someone Walkin' said:
It's quite amazing what some people will give you a pass for.
I on the other hand certainly DO NOT accept that you Asus, are all super now for doing something about this mess you have caused.
Too little, too late... you KNEW about the faults BEFORE IT WENT ON SALE but you still sought to monetize the broken POS that is the TFP at the expense of the goodwill of your customers.
You're actions in this matter have been ILLEGAL.. but you get away with it because no one has the money to haul your ass into court.
You have no credablity left as a company, except to those less than responsible people who are quite happy at being sold shoddy third rate workmanship.. which seems to be a rather large proportion of the people here at XDA, which coincidently should be the very people who should know better. It certainly looks like a case of too much money and not enough brains or responsibility.
But let me assure you Gary of Asus.. that those of us who know the value of a dollar, won't quickly forget what you have done here and how you have tried to abuse your customer base.
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Man, if I was Gary tell me why would I even bother? He is not Asus he just works for them and is doing his job. He didn't have to stick his neck into this buzz saw. Lets not beat up the messenger, especially when he is trying to work for us. I realize you may be frustrated but this is not the thread for that! Please go start an Asus Haters Club if you must but please don't direct your ire at the one person trying to help. Have a serial number PM it. If not move along.
My serial number sent!
Gary,
I don't know if i have the problem. Could you please send me a pair of bluetooth headphones.
Good Day,
I am starting this thread to provide general updates and information on current or future products. In addition, at times I will address rumors where applicable.
Request-
1. I travel a lot, especially this time of year as there are numerous events. In addition I am also responsible for notebooks, netbooks, desktops, monitors, networking, audio, motherboards and video cards as part of the Technical Marketing umbrella so the majority of time I spend on forums and assisting users has to be segmented and is usually on my personal time. Having a family also interferes with my personal time as do 14-hour flights.
2. As such, when sending Private Messages please include a contact email address and the serial number of the unit. It will greatly assist me in ensuring that return contact is quicker and less obtrusive.
3. In the very near future, there will be additional ASUS technical support on this site and other Android centric sites for our Tablet products. Obviously this is an extremely important service for our valued customers and the direct feedback allows us to further improve the products.
Items- 3/8/2012
1. For users with the WiFi/BT dropout problem we expect additional materials or replacement units in stock at the repair depots by 3/12. We apologize for some of the lengthy waits a few customers had to endure but it will be solved shortly.
2. As to the rumors of a hardware fix for WiFi/BT dropouts, the actual fix is just ensuring that the hardware utilized in current units is performing to tested standards. Basically to ensure this level of compliance we are replacing components within the WiFi subsystem on an as needed basis and then testing the units before shipment.
3. I am still responding to messages sent during my last two events at the end of February and beginning of March. I should be current by the weekend.
4. I will have some exciting news in about two weeks on the TF201.
5. Expect to see a .16 or later release in the near future with further tweaks and updates.
Rumors - 3/8/2012
1. As to various rumors or threads about every unit having a problem, the numbers indicate otherwise as evidenced in the CNET article and an upcoming followup. While not dismissing there have been some problems, the return/repair rates are no greater than other competing products based on current data and are actually lower than several. I am not going to defend us 100% as like with all manufacturers we have areas of improvement.
2. That being said, I want to discuss a certain population of users who complain about multiple unit problems or seem to have every problem that is discussed in a forum.
a. Of these problem repeat users, around 71% (varies on a monthly basis) never responded to direct communication attempts.
b. Of the remaining users (around 30%), we directly assisted 9% of these users and confirmed actual unit problems. Of the remaining 20% or so, we could not verify all of the problems reported (multiple units, service, returns). However, I would like to give two examples that generally mimic a lot of this 20% contact.
2a- User reported in the forums and private messages purchasing and returning 5+ units, all of which had various problems. Actual purchase history indicated only 3 units purchased and for each purchase the user called for an RMA number, was granted an RMA number that day, and yet returned the unit the next day to the retailer and purchased another unit and then cycled the same process for the next two units. This user also has a repeat history of doing this process for other items including notebooks over the past couple of years and then claiming to receive a new product after said complaints. We tracked down one problem unit based on purchase/serial number history and guess what, no problems discovered and in fact the GPS works wonderfully on this unit as I sit here testing it. As to the other two units, we will locate and test those also.
2b - Users posted numerous times about a multitude of problems and yet would not return the unit for an RMA or replacement and instead offered to quit "*****ing" in the forums if we would provide a free unit, replacement unit or upgrade. We still do not know if said user or users actually owns a unit or not. (note - had this situation play out several times with users in this forum and other forums)
2c - Total number of users we tried to assist reporting multiple TF201 problems - 43. I will leave the math up to you.
Also be aware that some companies will instruct personnel to post problems, complain about products or services and generally ensure some type of problem is mentioned numerous times while pimping their own products in forums. In addition, also be aware that legal representation from firms or users looking for a quick handout or settlement might be doing the same. I know several PMs I have received looked exactly like a legal beagle wrote the questions expecting a response that can be used in trial, especially once you run the message through heuristics. Of course, I could be incorrect and those questions were from extremely articulate individuals with product law knowledge that I apologize to for not answering the questions in requested detail.
As I stated before, I am not excusing any problems actually experienced due to a manufacturing defect or service issue. We certainly can and will improve but based on the hard numbers, what I am seeing is in alignment with most electronics and for the "A" users posting here, just do a search for WiFi, Screen bleed or lockup problems at their forum. This launch has been a humbling process in several areas, we fully recognize it and will improve our services and responses as quickly as possible.
At the same time, the amount of effort we expend tracking down false or misleading reports only serves to disrupt services to valued customers. I know this is part of doing business but it does not make it right. Just my personal opinion.
3/9/2012 Update:
General Comments-
1. Thank you to any members contacting me and including their serial number and email address, it really helps as I now receive email notifications directly once a PM is generated. It will cut down on the time required to respond and allow me access to requests regardless of travel or event schedules. I have one last request, please ensure the email address provided is current and working. About 25% of the email addresses provided yesterday bounced back. I think we cleared all of those up by this morning.
2. I will be working with our North American Service and Customer Care group shortly to train individuals to assist in tracking forum problems (product or service), product suggestions and in providing consistent information to our valued customers in this forum and others. Once we roll this out I will make an introduction to the new team members and contact instructions. I will still be available but will concentrate more on product trends and technical aspects of the hardware and software as this is my primary job responsibility. Of course, if you into a roadblock feel free to contact me.
3. Even though I am North American centric, I am still assisting international users at the moment. Hopefully, those users who contacted me over the past two weeks have been contacted by a regional rep today. If not, probably no later than Monday. In the meantime, the same requests I have asked of our Customer Care group for direct forum support in North America has also been requested of our other regions.
4. I apologize for any delays over the past couple of weeks and I should be current by Sunday night.
Product Comments-
1. Speaking of trends, I have noticed a pattern in several messages over the last couple of weeks with people complaining about slight pauses, hitches or browser closures. One item that seems to be a common thread in most of the messages is that the user recently downloaded the Chrome Beta. I will start a separate thread on this after I speak with Google/Nvidia on Monday. However, if you are up for wasting a few minutes and have these symptoms, please uninstall Chrome, reboot, uninstall Flash, reinstall Flash and see if the native browser works any better along with general system responsiveness.
3/20/21012 Update -
1. I will be back to the forums on 3/22/2012.
2. We will have a major ICS update (.19) arriving shortly (might be .20 now).
3. We will have a major announcement on the TF201 in the near future.
4. We will have dedicated forum assistance starting in the near future.
3/22/2012 Update -
1. I am back for the next few days. I will get caught up on messages and updates shortly.
2. The next firmware update is in qualification testing now. We are also working on solving some flickering problems reported by a few users and hopefully that will be addressed in this next release.
3. The announcements on the TF201 (not being canceled as speculated) will occur as soon as I have a release to do it.
4. Full time forum support at a few Android centric sites will be launched in the near future as discussed.
3/26/2012 Update
1. Firmware Update 9.4.2.21 will be released by 3/30 for North America. Updates and fixes galore for the lack of better words.
3/29/2012 Update -
I hope to announce some TF201 updates in the near future. We are finishing testing and should be able to discuss the update shortly.
4/2/2012 Update -
Still working on the details regarding the announcement and once finalized it will be released as quickly as possible. In addition, I have gathered additional details from a few users who are seeing locks or weirdness after playing a Tegra 3 optimized game after a few hours. I will be in California next week to work with NVIDIA and Google on this problem and browser slowness or closure that a few users have also reported.
4/5/2012 Update -
I guess the cat is out of the bag in regards to the planned announcement discussed above. I cannot comment officially at this point but will provide a detailed update once released to do so. In addition, if you PM me, please include an email address for contact within your message. It will greatly facilitate receiving an answer.
4/9/2012 Update -
I am in California this week to meet with Google, NVIDIA and others on current software packages and upcoming products so there will be some delays in messages. As for the GPS Dongle program on the TF201, we will make an official announcement (program details and registration) next week.
4/20/2102 Update -
Please contact me if you are a North American owner and have any issues with the GPS dongle. To date, testing has proved successful on a wide variety of units but we want to ensure a pleasant user experience. Also, working on validation testing on a new firmware image now.
4/27/2012 Update -
We are still validating a new firmware release. We are also tracking user reported issues with Tegra 3 games, WiFi Direct and some continued random reboot/lock problems with a few units. Based on current regression testing at HQ, NVIDIA and Google it appears we will need to swap out a few units to pinpoint exact user problems. For the unlocked audience, we have requested a version of NVFlash that works properly for users who unlocked their units.
5/3/2012 Update -
We have new NV base code that is undergoing validation testing now. I will released this firmware to a few beta users in the near future. It addresses random reboot/lock problems among a few other items. In addition, we are still working with NV and Google on code changes to address browser issues once multiple browsers are installed and Flash is not uninstalled and reinstalled again after a cold reboot.
5/9/2012 Update -
I have been out with pneumonia but will have messages forwarded to the Customer Care Team.
5/10/2012 Update -
I will provide test build 9.4.2.25.2 to a few power users tomorrow that addresses ANR problems identified with NVIDIA and Google. If this tests out fine, we will release as general beta to a wider group and then qualification release for users. Various browsers use different WebKit versions and thread priorities, which create some of the problems users with multiple browsers have been experiencing and even with other applications.
I got my refund from you guys (dock+ tablet+ shipping) thanks again! Hai trat was wonderful! Keep up the good work!
Don't let people discourage you!
Sent from my PG86100 using Tapatalk
Can you post a "procedure" or "guide" to obtaining full refund based on displeasure with GPS performance? Along with detailed information on who is "qualified" and who "isn't".
Gary Key said:
4. I will have some exciting news in about two weeks about the TF201.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exciting! After returning mine for a bright pixel and being tabletless for a month, I'm hoping... price break or updated hardware with bulletproof GPS, Wifi, Bluetooth, and no light bleed. Now that there are 2048 x 1536 resolution tablets out there for $499, the value proposition doesn't work as well as it did even if the TF201 didn't have the alleged level of errors people are stating.
Very good post Gary, it really does make a difference to my own personal view on Asus.
I very much doubt that any other manufacturer would put as much effort into backing their product.
Please keep visiting and putting various issues at ease, its what makes a big difference, although you will never keep everyone happy.
Very interested to see whats in store for us with future updates etc .. keep us posted.
P.S. I wish there was a UK based Rep on the forums too.
this is exciting news!
Thanks for the update and hopefully wifi/bt dropout will be fixed soon!
Thanks for getting me my refund Gary I cant wait to buy the next Asus tablet that comes along.
Can't wait to hear the "exciting news" about the TF201 in a couple of weeks. Except, now you have me getting all anxious again!
Good to see you guys really taking care of the issues and in contact with the users
Thanks for taking the time to come to the forums and put a face to Asus. Not many companies will reach out like that, and it's much appreciated. I know all you mainly hear are the negatives, so as a new prime owner as of yesterday, I can tell you thus far I'm very happy with the device.
Based on the level of community involvement and my brief experience with the device so far, I'd be more than comfortable recommending an Asus tablet to friends or family.
Thank you Gary, good on you!
but please get rid of your ugly
- https://discussions.apple.com/thread...art=0&tstart=0
in the signature. No insult buddy, but many people are allergic to apples. You might try dates or a link to figs, much sweeter...
We all agree on being happy not having to post in that thread and this link makes another great and exceptional statement little.
Give me a thanks and help me survive till the 17Th or so
Gary,
I have emailed a few times with requested info but never heard back. If I am doing something incorrectly, please let me know. I did hear from your friend in the repair center and he suggested waiting until parts come in. Unfortunately, I lost his name and email address. If you could send that, I would like to email him and now set up the return. I bought mine before GPS was removed from the specifications and was very disappointed to see that development as that is why I bought the Prime over the iPad 2.
Thanks for any info.
MBO
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk
Gary, thank you for the update.
I happened to have received an email from an someone outlining the steps at first and this was the first response:
Dear ,
Thank you for contacting ASUS and providing your feedback. I do apologize for your inconvenience. In the meantime I would suggest you to have it reset to the factory default by going to the 'settings' -> 'Backup & Reset' -> 'Factory data reset' (Please backup all of your personal data before this process) and please let me know if the problems still persist after this process. I'll be providing you with overnight shipping label to have the unit sent in for service. (Please provide shipping address for the process) You may also contact us at 888-678-3688 if you have any questions.
Thank you,
-Asus Tablet Team
I did as the email stated with no improvement. I then requested this.
Thank you for the offer, but I am going to send my Prime back to Amazon if I can't get a new fully tested unit from Asus directly. The reason being I don't feel I should have to wait for Asus to fix my new tablet I bought. I would consider keeping it if Asus was willing to ship me out a new unit so I don't have to wait for it to be fixed. If there is some way we can work this out so I don't have to go without a unit and one that has been fully tested that would mean the world to me, since I use it everyday.
I did the data reset and still the same issue. My Prime also has screen bleed, no GPS at all and washed out colors even when not in power saving mode.
Please help a loyal Asus customer.
Thank You
To which Asus responded
Hello,
We can only provide you a waranty service but if you are still within warranty with Amazon we recommend contacting them if this will be a faster process for you that will shorten the waiting time to have a unit.
Thank you,
Rodel L.
So I did exactly that, and boy am I glad I did. My new screen has saturated colors, wifi is about the same, I haven't tested the wifi/bluetooth experience yet.
Thanks for the update
Gary,
Thank you for coordinating the efforts to fix the problems and for all the communication with the forum members.
I pretty much gave up on the Prime because I need a strong WiFi performance and also need the WiFi to work simultaneously with BT. I also lost confidence on getting a Prime without bleeding since all 4 units I got had the problem. I returned my 4th prime and will wait for the Infinity. It will be a long wait but having the higher screen resolution is an added incentive.
We do have some unanswered questions about the Infinity that I was hoping to know the answers so I am not waiting for a product that would not meet my needs:
1) Will the WiFi work imultaneously with BT with no performance impact on either one, on the Infinity? I believe some users spotted on the FCC filing that this will not work on the TF300 so I am wondering about the Infinity?
2) Will the TF-201 docks be compatible and color matched with the Infinity? My dock is non returnable so I will need to sell it if that's not the case.
Thanks in advance.
Thanks for the updates, Gary.
The number one thing that will drive away my business is when companies are completely unwilling to engage their customers honestly. It's refreshing to see you guys take a different approach.
Asus' attention on these forums is also what made me take the plunge with the TF201 purchase even after reading all the alarms raised here. I can only encourage as much transparency as you can possibly provide, which I think helps quell some of the crazy bald speculations that some people try to pass off as facts around here.
For what it's worth, I think it's totally fair for Gary to point to the forums of *other* manufacturers. The "just works" myth is deeply ingrained in so many people's heads despite lots of evidence to the contrary. Noting that *all* products have some growing pains at launch injects a much needed dose of reality into the discussion.
(short story: I was frustrated with the WiFi signal on my Prime this morning and asked my wife if I could use her iPhone 4S to test throughput. I tried opening up speedtest, but the App Store was totally hung. I asked my wife about it and she said that problem happens often and can take hours to resolve itself.)
Thanks Gary, really appreciate the frank information. It is certainly eye opening to see the behavior of some members, though honestly not totally surprising.
I do have a question though, I have been searching high and low for an english-only dock in Canada, but even the CBIL units are hard to come by. I'm going on a large trip in April and was counting on having this dock in January or February, but now I'm starting to get nervous. When will Canada see the english docks in numbers where we can actually get them?
Thanks again.
I appreciate you taking the time to post this. Its good to have a voice to balance what on first site can seem like a lot of negative posts. I'm looking forward to the next two weeks.
Sent from my HTC Desire HD using XDA
After reading this post i'm officially an ASUS fanboy now. Thx gary, thx Asus.
All i can say:
<3<3<3
"I am not going to defend us 100% as like with all manufacturers we have areas of improvement. "
For me this is the difference between a good company and a great one. Making awesome products (the transformer prime is atm the best tablet in the world, yes even after ipad3 release) and still having the cojones/modesty to say they're not perfect and they try to improve.
Thats what i really dislike about those Apple guys. All you ever hear from them is "we are best best best". If you really look closly at it, they are not better than anyone. They just spend much more on advertising.
[e]
Techie2012 said:
1) Will the WiFi work imultaneously with BT with no performance impact on either one, on the Infinity? I believe some users spotted on the FCC filing that this will not work on the TF300 so I am wondering about the Infinity?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
BT will always have an impact on Wifi. Its radio signals, they interfere with each other. This issue is not unique to the prime. So if you turn on BT your wifi speed will be slowed down. It even happens on laptops.
I went through two units, before giving up. The first unit had reset issues even after .15 update but the GPS worked when outside (not for GPS use in a moving vehicle.) The second unit did not experience resets, but the GPS failed to work and the WiFi reception was poor at best. I really want to like the Prime, but until they produce a consistently error free products I am going to wait on the sidelines. What type of QA did ASUS do on this product prior to release(We obviously know at this time what they DIDN'T do, it went from Alpha Test to Manufacturing, and skipped the whole Beta Test thing)?
I appreciate all of your hard work, but ASUS really has a PR problem. Most of us on this site are advanced users, and or IT Professionals living on the bleeding edge, as such we (at least myself) have the ability to recommend products and services to our companies and friends( I field at least 20 calls a week from friends and family members seeking advise on tech purchases.)
I couldn't in good conscious recommend this product to a non-tech. individual with it current list of issues, mainly GPS(I know this feature has been removed from the list of specs, but almost every Android Tablet out has this feature, and this IS a premium product), weak WiFi Signals, and problems with WiFi/Bluetooth On at the same time. This is not a 1%, 9% but probably %99 issue with the currently released units.
Again, the average users will not know the difference or know what to look for, but this doesn't excuse the fact that the problem does exist. Most people didn't know the Ford Pinto would explode if it got hit from the rear, but Ford did, and while this is not a case of people getting injured or killed, but the result is the same, if a company knows that a product had a defect, i.e. the GPS you should fix the problem, not make the spec. magically disappear. The right thing to do is apologize, engineer a fix, swallow the expense and learn a lesson and move on, not sweep it under the rug and fix it on the next product released.
I would have a lot more respect for ASUS if they would have chosen the right way to fix the problem, not the least costly to the Share Holders.
I am not a fanboy of any company but tech itself, I like certain Android based products, I also like Apple products and Microsoft as well, I think competition is a good thing, and I enjoy using and learning about all Operating Systems and associated technologies, I would get awfully board being a Fanboy for a particular company (be it Microsoft, Apple or Google.)
One last point, I would also re-train you Technical Support Staff to NOT advise a customer that he can go online and purchase a replacement Power Supply on your Online Store, instead of going through the process of getting an RMA for the defective power supply (The USB Cap came loose and I would have to pull it by the cord to disconnect it, also if it was plugged in upside down I was getting shocked when touching the back of the Prime.) It would be one thing if I was outside my warranty period, but 7 days is another. The information for this is under: ASUS Service No=1701380; Rma No=USG7222490. I returned the unit because it was rebooting (as described above.)
thanks Gary for the updates. still waiting to hear back from a few messages I sent. I know you are swamped with messages. but thanks for starting this new thread and clearing up a majority of the rumours floating around. also for indirectly calling out the users who are trying to take advantage of a situation. I see them here on online and catch them in their lies. they always changing up their stories and brag about unneccessary details or claims. funny to see one or 2 of those people, take advantage of situation, posting in this thread...now that is classic.
I'm glad you cleared up the fix rumour. which always made sense and sounded very plausible.
Anxious to here what's this new exciting news you speak of concerning the Tf-201. I have some good hunches on what it might be but it'll be best to let you convey that instead of starting up new rumors n speculations.
looking forward to new .16 update. I figured we would be getting one soon.
Also, many people here on this forum think with you being Technical Marketing Manager, you are just here to do damage control and tell users anything, including lies or misleading info. I personally, and probably alot more users also, never got that impression from you or have seen evidence of that actually occurring. I for one am glad you came to help out on the forums. Regardless if it was voluntary or if after the the issues started popping up. it doesn't matter. what does matter is that Asus is showing that they are trying Tonto the extra mile and work with users on the issues. I know its not possible to help everyone else at once. that's why some may feel like you haven't addressed them fast enough. Sorting these issues out takes time. plus add in all the false reports, misleading info, and people trying to take advantage of situation and all that only delays things even more so.
I have never seen this kind of involvement from a device manufacturer before and its appreciated. it shows alot about how Asus cares about customer satisfaction and will try to uphold that value.
this new thread by you was needed. glad to see it finally surface. hopefully will make the trolls go away now that they know we on to their tactics...lmfao. As most of us should know who example 2a. is speaking of.. I never really believed him anyways. he got caught up in lies and still lying. lol if he smart he should just quietly vanish into the night. I love it, people getting put on blast. finally exposed!