[Q] Car-PC Frontend for Keyboard/D-Pad Control? - Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Hi,
since i hate using a touch screen while driving, i bought myself a Space Navigator 3D mouse. I want to build a car pc with a raspberry pi (or a cubieboard) and would love to use Android.
The only problem is: There are not really a lot of car frontends in the marked. And all of them that exist are entirely for touchscreen. They just dont work with a keyboard/d-pad…
What i want is to have something like the Mercedes Comand or BMW i-drive system, where you have that main controler in the middle and you can navigate with just right-left-up-down and the scroll-wheel. Personally i would like to have a top bar with all the main menu items (Sound (which includes Radio, "normal" Music and other stuff), Navigation, Telephone, Car information and Settings), the middle would be the actual display area and the bottom has some complementary information...
It looks like i have to start program something like that myself - the question is, where do i start and what would be the best approach for something like that? A whole "app", or maybe only a frontend for something else, like XBMC which works quite well on android and with the SpaceNavigator? Or maybe i can adapt something from the Parrot asteroid? The Remote is essentially the same thing - essentially the Asteroid is the thing i want, the only problem is, that the Mini is to small and the tablet/2-Din unit doesn't have the remote...
If anyone has some input, i would love to hear it. But as i said - i hate touchscreens while driving...
Greetings,
David

Related

Bluetooth Remote To Control An Android Phone

Hello, i've done a quick search on the forum here for what i'm looking for but all the posts are old and everyone seemed completely clueless at the time so maybe someone will have an answer now.
I have an LG Ally which is running Android 2.22 if I recall correctly. I currently have a setup so that I plug my phone into my stereo through AUX so I can use my phone to play music, and as a GPS when needed. I use the Music system that's built into android phone, but when i'm driving it's very hard to change the songs and still drive. I know they make bluetooth headphone that allow you to pause, skip, etc so there must be a bluetooth remote control that I can pair to my phone so I don't have to take my eyes off the road in order to change a song.
To make this clear, I am NOT looking for an app, nor am I trying to turn my phone into a remote control. I can't stress this enough, because a lot of posts I read while looking into this a lot of people where getting confused and thinking the person wanted to use their phone as a remote and this is not the case.
I would greatly appreciate some help finding something that would work, since i've not seemed to be able to find anything.
Sony Liveview
Check out the Sony Liveview to use as a bluetooth remote for you android based phones.
I would post a link but since i am a new member it will not let me so just google Sony liveview
Sony Smartwatch
Looks like the Sony Liveview is the older version so may want to look at the newer Sony SmartWatch
Maybe a Bluetooth game controller? Probably still need a helper app.
Not yet
I'm looking for the same exact thing, looks like it is such a small market that there are no products to suit the need.
There is a remote called Satechi BT Media remote that is compatible with iPhones.
If it works like like a Apple Bluetooth Keyboard, media functions should work with Galaxy Note, but I don't know about LG. Every company use different Bluetooth stack.
youtube.com/watch?v=sne9B0j4Z64
androbo said:
There is a remote called Satechi BT Media remote that is compatible with iPhones.
If it works like like a Apple Bluetooth Keyboard, media functions should work with Galaxy Note, but I don't know about LG. Every company use different Bluetooth stack.
youtube.com/watch?v=sne9B0j4Z64
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So i know this thread is a little old and i realize this doesnt directly help the OP, but could an IR remote, plugged into a USB host like a moto dock or one of those cables that enables the host command through the mini usb port possibly work? I suppose youd still need some sort of software to control the function...
I was thinking about this the other day when i had my phone attached hdmi to the tv, watching netflix. Once the episode was over, id have to get up and pick something else. A remote or a bt mouse might be a decent solution, but a mouse isnt very sexy as youd have to move around and click, as opposed to just using a directional pad or an arrow key.
dog199200 said:
Hello, i've done a quick search on the forum here for what i'm looking for but all the posts are old and everyone seemed completely clueless at the time so maybe someone will have an answer now.
I have an LG Ally which is running Android 2.22 if I recall correctly. I currently have a setup so that I plug my phone into my stereo through AUX so I can use my phone to play music, and as a GPS when needed. I use the Music system that's built into android phone, but when i'm driving it's very hard to change the songs and still drive. I know they make bluetooth headphone that allow you to pause, skip, etc so there must be a bluetooth remote control that I can pair to my phone so I don't have to take my eyes off the road in order to change a song.
To make this clear, I am NOT looking for an app, nor am I trying to turn my phone into a remote control. I can't stress this enough, because a lot of posts I read while looking into this a lot of people where getting confused and thinking the person wanted to use their phone as a remote and this is not the case.
I would greatly appreciate some help finding something that would work, since i've not seemed to be able to find anything.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was looking for exactly the same thing, for the same purpose.
I wasn't aware of the bluetooth HID protocol until now and hence I was thinking about a different solution:
I thought about using a bluetooth headset for media control as these often include all the media control buttons.
However I only wanted to use the media buttons of the bluetooth headset while I was playing music through the headphone jack in my car.
Therefore I was seeking for a solution to connect the bluetooth headset in a way that its buttons can be used for media control but no music would be streamed to the headset or could be muted.
I think it's possible but some android hacking might be involved.
But that's a thing of the past with this new Satechi Bluetooth Remote, the amazon sales description states that Android devices are supported as long as they support Bluetooth HID. The customer review section also includes a guy who succesfully paired the Satechi with his Galaxy III.
The Satechi was introduced a couple of months ago so maybe other manufacturers will introduce similar and cheaper devices.
If your Android OS supports Bluetooth HID you can also use some Bluetooth HID devices which are advertised to work with iOS only (ie Apple Bluetooth Keyboard).
dog199200 said:
Hello, i've done a quick search on the forum here for what i'm looking for but all the posts are old and everyone seemed completely clueless at the time so maybe someone will have an answer now.
I have an LG Ally which is running Android 2.22 if I recall correctly. I currently have a setup so that I plug my phone into my stereo through AUX so I can use my phone to play music, and as a GPS when needed. I use the Music system that's built into android phone, but when i'm driving it's very hard to change the songs and still drive. I know they make bluetooth headphone that allow you to pause, skip, etc so there must be a bluetooth remote control that I can pair to my phone so I don't have to take my eyes off the road in order to change a song.
To make this clear, I am NOT looking for an app, nor am I trying to turn my phone into a remote control. I can't stress this enough, because a lot of posts I read while looking into this a lot of people where getting confused and thinking the person wanted to use their phone as a remote and this is not the case.
I would greatly appreciate some help finding something that would work, since i've not seemed to be able to find anything.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So this is a pretty old thread but Motorola has a product called the RZ100 which should fit the bill nicely. I use it for my GS3 (I travel quite a bit, so gs3 + HDMI out adapter + this remote = bliss) and it works without issues. The only thing I would like is an app that allows remapping the buttons on it (Ahem Android developpers...)
hampox said:
I was looking for exactly the same thing, for the same purpose.
I wasn't aware of the bluetooth HID protocol until now and hence I was thinking about a different solution:
I thought about using a bluetooth headset for media control as these often include all the media control buttons.
However I only wanted to use the media buttons of the bluetooth headset while I was playing music through the headphone jack in my car.
Therefore I was seeking for a solution to connect the bluetooth headset in a way that its buttons can be used for media control but no music would be streamed to the headset or could be muted.
I think it's possible but some android hacking might be involved.
But that's a thing of the past with this new Satechi Bluetooth Remote, the amazon sales description states that Android devices are supported as long as they support Bluetooth HID. The customer review section also includes a guy who succesfully paired the Satechi with his Galaxy III.
The Satechi was introduced a couple of months ago so maybe other manufacturers will introduce similar and cheaper devices.
If your Android OS supports Bluetooth HID you can also use some Bluetooth HID devices which are advertised to work with iOS only (ie Apple Bluetooth Keyboard).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i want the EXACTLY function as u said, just plain media control to pair with my buttonless in ear earphone, only Satechi available now? kinda bulky consider i just need the media control alone.. haiz..
hampox said:
I thought about using a bluetooth headset for media control as these often include all the media control buttons.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you so much.
I'm using my Sensation with a Harman Kardon Go+Play and therefore had the same problem as OP.
I read your post and realized that I already own a Logilink BT0019 for other purposes.
I paired it and voilá, the music plays via the Harman Kardon, but the BT0019 media buttons still work.
Only Play/Pause and Next/Previous Song though because the sound level Buttons only change the Headsets volume which means that I do now need two remotes (the BT0019 +the provided Harman Kardon Remote for volume control.) but okay, cool.
I got the BT0019 for 22€, so it's a decently low priced solution too, even if I would not need the Headset for other purposes.
I know it's not bluetooth but the Mele F10 air mouse can do the trick via USB OTG.
I'm looking for a similar solution to control the media playing on an Android tablet for my daughter while on road trips. We have a Nexus 10 currently and will probably be getting a Nexus 7/Kindle Fire HD/Nook HD+ soley for her uses. Are there any android apps that might also achieve this using bluetooth? If I could control the media on the tablet using my Galaxy Nexus phone, that would be even better.
I succesfully managed to get what the OP asked for with an old TomTom bluetooth remote like this one (www ebay com/itm/331084156246) thanks to the informations provided by Norvan Gorgi at norvangorgi blogspot it/2011/10/using-tomtom-bluetooth-remote-with.html (insert dots as required ), and it worked brilliantly with both my SGS3 and my first gen Galaxy Note.
Basically, the remote is recognized as an external keyboard, so all you need is to remap its keys (the tomtom remote has 10 buttons) according to your needs, as per the instruction provided by Norvan in his blog.
Thing is, this stopped working when I installed CyanogenMod 10.2 on both my mobiles, appearently because android 4.3 now does not recognizes the remote as a keyboard anymore, but rather as an 'input device', ie with a nice 'joystick' icon next to it (and my own keyboard definition files won't work anymore).
Anyway, once paired with a 4.3 device the four directional keys and the central 'ok' one will sitll work, so it might still prove useful for someone, even if it does not have proper 'direct' media functions as it would have when set up as a keyboard.
Satechi Remote Control
I recently purchased the Satechi remote control because even though it says its specifically made for iOS, people in the reviews said it works on android and also because it works on 3rd party applications like spotify.
I have two Samsung devices, my phone which is Samsung Galaxy Note II and a Samsung Galaxy Player 4.2 which is just used to download my spotify playlist for the car. since the Galaxy Player 4.2 only has 512mb of ram its really annoying when i want to change song, very slow and I realised I pay a lot of attention to the device while driving and that isnt good!
so I bought the remote thinking it would help. now the problem is it doesnt connect to android devices because it requires bluetooth HID, according to a few posts found on this website and a few others, I downloaded bluetooth keyboard easy connect and on my phone it worked fine. however on my galaxy player it didnt work. it just keeps TRYING to connect, the device is running 2.3.6.
my question is, is there any other application i can use or anything I can do to use this remote on my mp3 player?
I realize this thread is very old but I found this thread searching for the exact same thing. I have not ordered this yet, but the Amazon reviews seem to suggest this item is exactly what I have been looking for!
Amazon link
Any current suggestions?
Do remotes just work as a HID keyboard or keyboard-mouse combo?

[Q] Remote control Parrot Asteroid Smart via iPad

Hello XDA.... I have an Asteroid Smart installed in the fairing of my 2013 Harley Davidson CVO Road Glide. My fairing also has the option of placing an iPad mini in front of the double din to access all things Apple/iPad. The asteroid smart is controlled via handlebar controls through the paser unika utilizing the resistive protocols (that was custom too . The problem comes in when I have the ipad mounted infront of the asteroid. Obviously, I cant see the asteroid at this point, so I have to try to remember push button sequences on my handlebars to control media sources, playlists, etc. I also can't see the navigation app from the SMART. Before suggesting that I just use the iPad for navigation, I can't as I only have the wifi version of iPad that only has AGPS for location information, not an actual GPS chip in it, so it's not really useable for navigation. Further, I find that I don't really like controlling the asteroid w/out seeing feedback on the screen in front of me.
The ideal situation would be to have VNC remote control of the asteroid via the iPad. Actually any remote control of the asteroid via iPad would be great, but I haven't been able to find any remote control soltuion for an android device that is controllable from an iPad. Sure I can find them that will allow control of android from PC or Mac or Linux, but not controlled from another tablet.
Interestingly enough, In talking with VNC, they have a VNC Mobile Server SDK that would allow for this very type of functionality. It was designed for allowing remote control of android devices via double din head units. However, they don't release it to the general public. Only OEMs, automotive companies and tier 1 suppliers... ughhh... However, they did inform me that Parrot is a licensee of this technology. (I've posted this on the Parrot forum too, to see if they can help). Can anyone offer some insight or suggestions problem?
Thanks in advance!

[Q] Voice controlled home automation

Hi,
I am looking at installing a home automation system in a clients house using a Bitwise controller. I was thinking about installing android tablets as an in-wall solution via WiFi rather than expensive light switches (Rako, Lutron, etc.) and multi-room controllers, as you seem to be able to pick up 7" tablets quite cheap. Stairs will still have standard switches.
I am aware of systems such as Crestron and AMX (we already install AMX) but I think there is a cheaper way to achieve this.
I understand they aren't going to be the best, but all they will be doing is running a Bitwise GUI designed for android tablets, so very little load.
I will have to make various changes to settings such as auto sleep times, wake up screens, etc. which I will address in a separate post. What I was looking for from the thread was to see how I can harness the voice control, which brings two questions.
The first is what is the typical range of the mic built in to the tablets and is there any way to enhance this?
The second is whether there is an app that provides voice control to something like the Bitwise BC1 controller, or am I trying to achieve something that isn't particularly easy?
I would be grateful for any guidance.
Craig

[Q] Android built-in a old car

Hello! First sorry for my poor language.
Polish android forums can tell me only stupid ideas, these people can't use brains.
I want to open discussion about mounting smartphone with Android to car. Important things: considered connect charger(i have car electric items and idea how to connect and hide wiring), make car recorder(AutoGuard app), make audio source(bluetooth connected for car radio - without wiring), sometimes use Torque app(i have OBD 2 mini ELM adapter).
I have some old phone - Samsung SM-G350. Car is passat b5, but its not important.
My samsung is rooted, have cyanogenmod 11 on android 4.4.4. I'm searching ideas for reaction in my telephone when i turn on my engine. For example - if i turn engine on, car charger is working and callphone battery is loading. I want to in this moment run AutoGuard and start recording, or screen is displaying always and is unlocked.
Have some ideas? Maybe change android files? Some scripts? Help me, i need to good advices.
You need the Android Auto for that, old cars don't usually have it.
To have something mounted, your best option is to get an Android Auto receiver, but you'll have to do the research with your car info and stuff like that. You could also just get a simple phone mount for pretty cheap on an online store like Amazon.
With Tasker, possibly, you might be able to use that root capability to its potential by setting up some automation stuff that opens apps once the phone detects power input (once it is plugged in).
Android Auto is a good option, but I don't think that it runs on Android 4.4.4. You'll have to get something newer.
(I also just realized that this is a really old thread that people are responding to now. )

Serial as input device

Hi,
I'm building "accessory" box that allows me to add Carplay to my 2016 Audi A6 that has no carplay support. The build in infotainment has analog video in using Audi AMI connector. The plan is to use Raspberry Pi running LineageOS connected to infotainment video/audi in, and using CarLinkit usb-carplay dongle run Carplay in the Raspberry.
The center console controll knobs / buttons communicate the headunit via rs232 serial - and when the infotainment is on aux video mode, only the back button is in use. The plan is to use the stock controlls to conrol this monstrosity. So far i have connected my laptop in between to map the data each key press send ie: each click of the wheel to the left send "3#56" trough the serial.
Now the real question is, how i can use this to controll the android? So that each time the wheel turns to left it would be mapped as arrow key left in android?
Bump!
I'm literally wondering in the woods how / where I should start unraveling this... If this would be normal PC enviroment and i could use Python i would know how to do it, but being and IOS guy i have no idea how the android functions and where is should start: Can i make autorunning app that emulates keyboard from the serial input? or what would be the best way for it?
I am currently attempting the same thing. I’m half-way through gathering my parts and pieces so I can’t speak to a functioning example. What I can say is what I am trying to do to leverage the in-vehicle iPod controls to control the Pi.
Search for an android app called “PodEmu”.
It spoofs the vehicle’s head unit into thinking an android device is actually an iPod. You have to create you own DIY cable to make the connection happen but I’ve managed to cobble one together for about $15.
Download the app, plug in your homemade cable and you should be set (in theory). In a perfect world it will even transfer the artist info to your vehicle but I’m currently running into notification enablement issues between PodEmu and LineageOS.

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