Messages

1

Gemini PDA - General Discussion / UK Backers - when do you expect your Gemini?

« on: May 24, 2018, 03:07:56 pm »

God-damn disappointing news (for backers with order IDs greater than 4500).

well, you know, I literally placed my order days before the indiegogo phase expired and the special price for backers finished, so I am just grateful that I managed to get in and get the discount.

Hey me too, nabbed it the day before the price went up! I also do not have my Gemini yet. There is a UK web retailer clove.co.uk (they started out selling Psions    ) who say they will have stock by 18th June. I would assume UK buyers will get their Geminis by that date at the latest.

Tritium

2

Gemini PDA - General Discussion / Battery Removal

« on: March 28, 2018, 11:40:48 am »

A week later and my Gemini is still a bit poorly.  I've got about 15% of the keys working now but the rest seem to be unresponsive to any form of persuasion I can muster.  Along the way I was introduced to the idea of conductive rubber by work colleague who knows more about such things than me.  Aside from just being a completely wrong idea and desperately needing to be in a murder mystery involving some custom made wellies and a Van der Graaf generator it explains the mechanics of the Gemini keyboard.  That rubber membrane that gives them their lovely feel also closes the circuit between the rings thus registering the key press.  I've been testing the keyboard using the very technical 'piece of tin foil' method which also closes the circuit and registers a key press.

I also lifted the flexible PCB that holds the contacts.  You've got to be a bit careful if you do this as the LED is attached to it, gently pressing down as you pull the PCB does the trick.  Underneath there doesn't really seem to be any way of releasing the battery.  There are what look like 3 studs running through the plastic tray the PCB rests on but at that point it was beginning to look like battery removal would be a non-reversible process and I gave up.

I can still use the Gemini as a normal touch screen Android complete with the on-screen keyboard that I hate so much so it's still my only phone.  I'll have to be patient until Planet have some spares and get the flexible PCB replaced.

I'm still waiting to hear from Planet about how the battery can be removed in the hope that there's some residual gak where the ribbon connector joins what I presume is another board hidden under the battery.  At the moment it may be a user replaceable battery but I can't for the life of me figure out how.

Rosie

Are the bits you took out completely clean? Maybe rinse the rubber mat with distilled water to remove any dried on cider. Possibly do the same for the flexible pcb if you can unhook it from the power source.

Tritium

3

Gemini PDA - Android / Making Android usable?

« on: February 19, 2018, 03:03:29 pm »

In the best estimation it seems as if Linux, fully functioning, is a while away. I have not used Android much. Are there good ways of eliminating the Gapps and other spyware such that it might be tolerable in the interim?

Apparently the install tool will allow you to install a rooted android build which should get you what you want.

Tritium

Update 49
Gemini launch - Linux update

Gemini Flashing Tool

... You can also use the tool to manually update Android, for example to install a rooted Android version.

4

Gemini PDA - General Discussion / alternative cases? 3D printing our own?

« on: February 11, 2018, 06:11:36 pm »

I generally buy those rubbery/gel cases for my phones, but there wasn't such an option for the G.

I have access to a 3D printer, but I know nothing about how to design things, so I was wondering whether there were any people here on the forum who would be able to design a case? I would try it out and then we could upload the design to Thingiverse etc?

Maybe we could get Planet to release a 3D model of the outside shell to make this easier?

An alternative "case" I'd be interested in would be a vinyl decal, maybe something with rainbows and unicorns... Should be quite easy to make, I imagine those vinyl cutters are fairly easy to find now. Or even just hire.

Tritium