Messages

1

Cosmo Communicator - Android / Extreme slowdown when using Google Docs

« on: November 30, 2021, 05:28:18 am »

I have been using the Cosmo for quite some time now (one of the earlier backers). Specifically, I have been using it quite regularly for writing/drafting documents in Google Docs while on the go and during meetings.

However, for some time now I have experienced serious problems when trying to use Google Docs. After a few dozen keystrokes in Google Docs, the device slows down significantly.
Some observations:

• The problem only appears when using Google Docs (not when using Word or any other app that I have tested thus far).
• The resulting slowdown however is not limited to Google Docs but affects the entire system, as evident in input lag, slow system animations, and overall extreme sluginess.
• I am not 100% certain, but I believe this problem not to have appeared after I initially updated the firmware to v25 -- I belive it to have appeared later, after some update to the Google Docs app.

Force-closing Google Docs does not make any difference. Closing all apps does neiter. In all observed situations, plenty of RAM was available. Emptying cache of Google Docs, deleting data and uninstalling+reinstalling the app make no difference. Size of document does not seem to make any difference either, as the problem occurs even with new and completely empty documents.

The only "solution" is to restart the Cosmo, at times with a force restart, when the system has become virtually irresponsive.

There seems to be some incompatibility with the keyboard driver and Google Docs.

Has anyone experienced similar problems and maybe even found a solution?

[Background specs: running current rooted v 25 with scandinavian keyboard layout]

2

Cosmo Communicator - Hardware / Rear camera glass cover

« on: February 07, 2020, 05:29:43 am »

Given my recent experience, it might really be a good idea to make sure it doesn't come off. When looking at your photo and comparing it to mine, probably a tiny drop of superglue into the groove between glass and frame might be enough?

[...]
That's what I was thinking as well.  Very carefully applying glue under just that edge would be fairly easy with the microscope, and it shouldn't really need to be anything fancy like superglue, because we don't really need (or want) a super strong bond here.  Just enough to keep the glass down would be fine.  I think a pretty simple adhesive would work well.

That's true. I was just thinking out loud, contemplating about my experience with trying to add adhesive on top of other adhesive. In such cases, superglue has become my universal choice  

the swe/fin-keyboard

the fin/swe keyboard (see what I did there? ),

Oh no, you didn't?!?

I provided Planet with a link to this thread and specifically asked on advice for those of us with loose (but not yet lost) glasses.

I did have a short mail-convo – and according to Planet, a replacement lens is already on its way to me. Amazingly fast service, I have to say!
However, have not yet received an answer about the advice or recommended choice of adhesive.

Will keep you updated.

3

Cosmo Communicator - Hardware / Rear camera glass cover

« on: February 06, 2020, 04:51:17 am »

Edit:  I notice you are in Sweden.  I'm in Finland, so assuming you have the local keyboard layout on yours, our Cosmos are quite possibly from the same batch.

Yes, I am using the swe/fin-keyboard and received the item about a week ago.
Probably, I should let Planet Computers know, that there seems to be a problem that affects several units of this batch, when they reply to my support request.

4

Cosmo Communicator - Hardware / Rear camera glass cover

« on: February 06, 2020, 04:50:45 am »

...  I've been pondering sicking it under my microscope and very carefully getting a little bit of glue into that seam to hold the glass in place better.

Given my recent experience, it might really be a good idea to make sure it doesn't come off. When looking at your photo and comparing it to mine, probably a tiny drop of superglue into the groove between glass and frame might be enough?

That is, if you make sure, that the glue stays outside of the innards of the camera unit AND if the superglue doesn't dissolve neither the glass (is it real glass?) nor the plastics surrounding it!!!

Don't really know anything about the materials used, so someone more knowledgeable about the chemistry of plastics might get acute urges to kill me when reading such ideas  

5

Cosmo Communicator - Hardware / Rear camera glass cover

« on: February 06, 2020, 04:35:34 am »

Just to share my total and utter sadness  

I have recently received my Cosmo (after having been an avid Gemini user before). I am really happy with the device, however I recently discovered, that the protective glass cover for the back camera has come off, without me noticing (see attached photo).

I have not dropped the device or physically abused it in any other way – so I strongly believe that the used adhesive must have been too weak.

In any case; as the glass cover is missing, I would at the minimum need a replacement glass for it. In the meantime, I have covered the camera with tape in order to prevent excessive amounts of dust from getting into the unit.

Now, let's see, how fast Planet Computers are at answering such support requests.

6

Cosmo Communicator - Android / Is it possible to edit keyboard layout?

« on: February 01, 2020, 06:53:13 am »

Check out the app FinQwertyKeyboard Layouts by Anssi Hannula (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=fi.onse.qwerty.finnish).

It has a specific keymap for the Gemini, which is identical with the original one for swedish/finnish, except for swapping the "ä" and "ö" characters. However, the original method of modifying the keys with ApkEditor is working just fine for all the other characters. With "working just fine"" I mean, that it can be successfully uninstalled, altered to your own likings and reinstalled.

As the layout is for swedish/finnish devices, obviously you have to change some more mappings in order to make it usable, in case you are using a different physical layout. You should be able to simply copy your changes over from the .kcm -file that you tried to modify on the original keybord apk, however.

I have successfully used the app/keyboard map since I upgraded my Gemini to Android 8 – and I am also currently typing this reply on my Cosmo using it. Even the shortcuts for the keyboard-light (Fn-Shift-b and Fn-Shift-N) work as expected, as they are handled on a lower level.
(I use it to get access to em-dashes, "~" etc). The only key-combinations that are not possible to modify are those that are lower-level (such as "play", "forward" etc).

7

Cosmo Communicator - Android / Cosmo as bluetooth keyboard

« on: January 06, 2020, 12:22:10 pm »

I haven't received my Cosmo yet – but on the Gemini PDA I have been using the app Serverless Bluetooth Keyboard/Mouse to (ab)use the Gemini as a physical keybaord for my Android tablet at times. Not sure, whether your PC with closed lid would auto-connect to the Cosmo as soon as the app is started or whether you'd need to first confirm connecting to the fake BT-keyboard each time. The latter would of course make the entire excercise rather useless...
Might be worth checking out, nevertheless. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?....appground.blek

8

Gemini PDA - Android / Improve Spanish/Catalan keyboard layout

« on: September 15, 2018, 02:00:29 am »

At the end I get:

App not installed.
Package conflicts with an existing package by the same name.

Any idea how to solve?

You have to make sure to uninstall the previous version (step i in the description) prior to installing your modified one.

9

Gemini PDA - Android / How to remap the keyboard?

« on: September 15, 2018, 01:57:46 am »

There are some topics mentioning remapping the keyboard, but I have not found any which is really verified. Is there a guide for this somewhere?

Basically I want to change a few keys in Android.

Sorry, for the late reply. Basically, when rooted, it is rather easy to change the layout. Can't takex credit for the description, as I myself found it some time ago - but I am unfortunately not able to locate the original source. Edit: here it is: https://www.oesf.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=35412

• Get Apk Editor from the Play Store (or other source). Install and open.
• Select Apk from App -> Choose Gemini Keyboard package (its name is localized to your language)
• Choose Simple Edit (File Replacement) option to open it.
• Navigate to res/raw and save keyboard_layout_YOURLANGUAGE_gemini.kcm out of the package in any folder you prefer. YOURLANGUAGE obviously has to be replaced with whichever language layout you wish to change
• Open a text editor (eg Jota or QuickEdit) and give it authorization to open files.
• Open the file you saved in Apk Editor
• Take a look at how the file is structured and make the changes you wish. In my case, I modified the U-key to output the following:
  • u for normal key press
  • U when pressed with Shift (or active Caps)
  • ü when pressed with Alt
  • Ü when pressed with Alt + Shift (or active Caps)
  • - when pressed with Fn
  • – (a long dash) when pressed with Fn + Shift (or active Caps)
  In code, this translates to
  
  Code: [Select]
  key U {
    label:                              'U'
    base:                               'u'
    shift, capslock:                    'U'
    fn:                                 '-'
    fn+shift, fn+capslock:              '\u2013'
    alt:                                '\u00fc'
    alt+capslock, shift+alt:            '\u00dc'
}
• Save your changes to the file
• Go back to Apk Editor, click on the icon next to the one you pressed earlier to save your layout file in order to replace it with your modified one.
• Save.
• After saving, click the Remove-button to uninstall the official apk.
• Click install to install your modified apk.
• Click open and follow the instructions to configure the keyboard.

10

Gemini PDA - Android / Keyboard symbols

« on: June 22, 2018, 03:42:26 am »

When setting up my (swedish layout( keyboard, I remember to have struggled with the language selection as well. After setting all available input methods to (in my case:) Swedish/Gemini and rebooting afterwards, the settings stuck.

Might be worth a try.