Hi guys,
we will have to buy a new phone for my visually impaired sister during next year (or maybe much earlier), because she is currently unable to use her simple Nokia (unable to read SMS messages on display etc.).
I tried to find any simple phone with voice output for her, but the only one possible candidate was Samsung Haven, which was only available for U.S. mobile networks and not for european GSM (and did not have Czech language support, but this was minor in this case).
She needs only a simple phone to perform standard voice calls and SMS messages. Current approach here is to use some smartphone – symbian with Mobilespeak or Android with Code Factory or some other a11y suite. OK, why not, but this aims to make a accessible smartphone, while many people need only accessible phone (which is not available).
So this také me to following idea:
if Android uses a modified linux kernel and GUI via Java virtual machine Dalvik, then it should be possible to use alternative simple menu with something like linux console voice output instead of the standard GUI and so make it much quicker.
This menu could be very easy – only to provide functions similar to „normal“ cellphones like the old good Nokia 3310 only with voice output. I know that it sounds very stupid to degrade a smartphone to a simple cellphone, but I do not know other way.
I think, that such trimmed off custom ROM with this sort of text menu and only basic functions (calls, SMS, phone book, calendar and clock with alarm) combined with a voice output could be able to run on cheap and relatively weak devices like Huawei Boulder for example so final solution could be comparable with normal cellphones. We need something with physical keyboard, so we could use HTC Cha Cha or if possible, the much cheaper Huawei which are both available from official distribution.
Are there any initiatives or attempts to create something similar?
Thanks much
PS: we are ready to sacrifice wireless internet and lack of Google services for better performance.
Please use the Q&A Forum for questions Thanks
Moving to Q&A
how to change settings for tags?
when I choose tags in application it shows "no scaned tags"... but they work...
If you go to your apps, there is an icon that says 'liveware'. In the app you can choose smarttags and edit them.
If you use the smart tags, DL from market the xperia smart tags App. When it's Ok creat a widget for smarts tags xperia and tap on it. Now you set option for each tags.
Tell if it's that you wan't because i just have App, no smart tags in my package
Alternatively, look into NFC Task Launcher or NFC Tag Writer which work with NFC tags not through the smarttags method.
I find SmartTags pretty restrictive but coming from a Nexus S I am really used to using tags for much more automation (check-ins with Foursquare, tasker tasks, sending messages, running remote server commands etc)
plain or restricted NFC API ?
hi 3shirts,
I think you answer indirectly to the question I have yet I need some confirmation.
actually, I'm wondering if this phone has "full" NFC support or if Sony will only allow "NFC restrited" apps like max 4 smartags /per Xperia as up to now?
I need to replace my GalaxyS and I'm hesitating between Galaxy Nexus and Xperia S mainly for this NFC feature.
I plan to develop NFC apps and don't want to be restricted by such "marketing" feature.
can you confirm we can use the plain android NFC API on Xperia S and "talk' to more than 4 SmartTags, and on differents NDEF and not NDEF ones?
all the best
Rico
ze_rico said:
hi 3shirts,
I think you answer indirectly to the question I have yet I need some confirmation.
actually, I'm wondering if this phone has "full" NFC support or if Sony will only allow "NFC restrited" apps like max 4 smartags /per Xperia as up to now?
I need to replace my GalaxyS and I'm hesitating between Galaxy Nexus and Xperia S mainly for this NFC feature.
I plan to develop NFC apps and don't want to be restricted by such "marketing" feature.
can you confirm we can use the plain android NFC API on Xperia S and "talk' to more than 4 SmartTags, and on differents NDEF and not NDEF ones?
all the best
Rico
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use the Tag Writer app instead of the smarttag app.
As long as you disable or remove the smart tag app, you have full functionality of your smart tags. I even tested it by trying to write the sony tags, which worked (apparently they arent write protected but they aren't very large, so you can't write much ), but of course you lose the "functionality"(I use that lightly, since the smart tag app is...limited).
So you shouldn't have any problems at all, if you just avoid using the smart-tag app
Edit:
Actually, the creator of the NFC app owns both phones, and can compare the difference in functionality (which I don't think there is) you might want to send him a PM, krohnjw is his name on the forums
thanks a lot shmoejoe !
meanwhile I've found part answers by googleling on NFC ans Xperia keywords;
interesting thinhs on sonymobile dev world NFC page : developer(dot)sonymobile(dot)com/wp/2012/01/10/nfc-support-in-new-xperia-devices
I'll contact krohnjw check it whit him/her
besides, I'm not surprised to see that samrttags ae writable, because (if my understanding is correct) htis is the purpose for the smarttags to write down simplified URIs into them to launch actions (right? )
or is it only the aim of the smart tag app to match the tag Id and associate& store actions ?
cheers
Rico
Hmm, I will check out that link I think
I am rather new to this NFC world so I'm still trying to figure it all out as well (you lost me at the NDEF question). Once I figure it all out though, I believe I will start living off of it .
I currently only use it to mainly change my settings around and to launch a few apps, but I read that in some pleaces NFC is being used to pay for things and such (with Google Wallet?)? Now something like that really interests me .
I tried the Smart tag App, but it's really restricted (no air plane mode action for exemple).
So i bought NFC Task mananger, awsome app, lots of choices and actions.
1.4 euros for the app and 13 euros for 10 tags. Less than the 4 officials smart tags =)
thanks both for your inputs,
Shmojeo, you read right about other NFC features,
currently there're 3 ways to use NFC : reader mode(the one we're discussing about here), P2P (beaming between 2 NFCphones) and card emulation.
the later is for payement, loyalty/coupons etc, and maybe everything we can imagine to get access to the tags stored data.
yet Google doesn't give access to what they call the "secure elements" which is somewhat equivalent to accessing sim card or banking card data.
it's probably because they want to promote the google wallet ;-)
I've read somewhere (may be here on xda) that patches are coming to get around this.
cheers
rico
Incidentally. You don't even lose the functionality of SmartTags because you can write the URI that they use back to them (or any tag for that matter) and get the functionality back.
See this thread:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1544570
I know that
I meant more that you can't use the smart-tag app functions when you rewrite it, which isn't a loss because the NFC writing app does more and works better, you just can't use the sony app for it .
More smat tags in Xperia S
ze_rico said:
hi 3shirts,
I think you answer indirectly to the question I have yet I need some confirmation.
actually, I'm wondering if this phone has "full" NFC support or if Sony will only allow "NFC restrited" apps like max 4 smartags /per Xperia as up to now?
I need to replace my GalaxyS and I'm hesitating between Galaxy Nexus and Xperia S mainly for this NFC feature.
I plan to develop NFC apps and don't want to be restricted by such "marketing" feature.
can you confirm we can use the plain android NFC API on Xperia S and "talk' to more than 4 SmartTags, and on differents NDEF and not NDEF ones?
all the best
Rico
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have write 5 SmartTag in my Xperia S (two time favorite) i have try to get more but seems no way, i believe is the Sony application limitation
ze_rico said:
htis is the purpose for the smarttags to write down simplified URIs into them to launch actions (right? )
or is it only the aim of the smart tag app to match the tag Id and associate& store actions ?
cheers
Rico
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it's only launch liveware, we have instal it in a Nexus S and work exactly like in my Xperia S
PS you need the both app: Liveware & Smarttag and of course NFC enabled mobile
Starting with Android "L" , apps can no longer get the recently launched apps:
https://developer.android.com/preview/api-overview.html#Behaviors
The documentation (not the one on the internet, as it's still not updated ) says:
This method is deprecated.
As of L, this method is no longer available to third party applications: as the introduction of document-centric recents means it can leak personal information to the caller. For backwards compatibility, it will still return a small subset of its data: at least the caller's own tasks (though see getAppTasks() for the correct supported way to retrieve that information), and possibly some other tasks such as home that are known to not be sensitive.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Instead, they only get a list of apps that the current app has launched.
Is there a way to overcome this? Perhaps with root?
I ask this since I've recently added this feature for my app (allowing to sort apps by recently launched), and sadly it doesn't work as I made it...
Maybe I can get when the files of the apps (those that are used for launching them) were recently used? But this is just like checking the list of running processes, no?
Hi,
i was wondering if anyone could recommend a book regarding NFC HCE development with SIM based SE. I have gathered some background through online research. However it would be nice to have a single point of reference to some fundamentals.
What i am trying to do.
Well basically where i live there is a NFC Payment App that uses SIM based SE. However the developers of this app claims that the software doesn't work on Samsung Galaxy Note 4. Being a software engineer i find it very difficult to accept this claim that Galaxy Note 4 NFC has some fundamental flow.
I have look around their APP with APK tool. I noticed the AndroidManifest is missing some basic artifacts that should be part of a Payment App. Such as AID for the specific Payment Network. It also relies on a library called org.simalliance.openmobileapi for NFC and i feel this part of the code may also be broken.
for example the APP uses permission org.simalliance.openmobileapi.SMARTCARD (and i have seen all NFC related permissions are packaged in this library under this permission)
The Physical card that is being emulated is Mifare Desfire EV1. I already have the required SIM card with SE from the Mobile Provider.
So basically my idea is to follow some guidelines pointed at android dev /guide/topics/connectivity/nfc/hce.htmlnd try to mimic the functionality from the original APP without using the library they had used.
I have already collected a list APDUs from the original APP that i may need to authorize the payment once the Reader and SE has done their authentication.
My only intent is to have the reader successful communicate with a Authentic SE SIM. (and no monkey business)
So if anyone can recommend me a book that might give bit more background on the matter would be great.
Best Regards
Dev
i'm a proud Android owner, but isn't it shame that iphone owners can easily install multiple whatsapp or Viber apps but we can't? even after ROOT. (maybe unless someone is very good at rewriting and manipulating the app or the OS)
you Developers can create anything. PLEASE help us to be able to install an app multiple times. i know it's possible because there is a very hard way to do it. but you guys can make it simple.
how great will it be if we could have multiple facebook and instagram and viber on our phones (especially the dual sim ones)
there is an app that allows you to install multiple (Wechat)
GO TEAM ANDROID
by the way, there are some alternatives for the people who need this.
for example:
OgWhatsapp (which will help you install multiple whatsapp)
2lines for viber (uses your viber app and changes between numbers on the fly) (not really a dual app but colse)
2lines for whatsapp (also works the same as mentioned above)
multiwechat (which really installs more than one wechat on your phone)
i will update this if i find anything new. or you guys can help.
STILL i hope a capable developer finds a way to install an app multiple times
I don't find 2lines for Viber can you post a link please?