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Topics - bogomips

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For Sale / Wanted / For Sale: Gemini PDA 4G/Wifi Version (New Zealand)
« on: September 02, 2018, 11:18:04 pm »
Currently listed here: https://www.trademe.co.nz/mobile-phones/mob...-1755650101.htm
NZ$450 buy-now or NZ$400 if bidding.

2
Gemini PDA - Android / Able to connect to WPA2 EAP Wifi?
« on: March 15, 2018, 10:48:43 pm »
Has anyone managed to get their Gemini to connect to enterprise wifi using WPA2 EAP?

When testing this, I use my other android phone (also android 7.x), right next to the Gemini, and config the Wifi details and credentials identical on both.
Works on old phone, refuses to connect on Gemini...

I don't have issues to connect to vanilla (non-enterprise) wifi at home...

A previous MTK phone also refused to connect to this type of network.

3
Gemini PDA - Android / Install ADB drivers & Check for Adups
« on: March 14, 2018, 08:54:26 pm »
(tl;dr: I didn't see adups packages on the Gemini)

Adups was a spyware that was baked in on a number of low cost Mediatek based phones in the last 2 years.
Pretty nasty stuff - https://www.blackhat.com/us-17/briefings/sc...ps--others-6634

I personally had one of these devices.

I mentioned to Planet early on in the campaign to guard against any accidents. Seems I was not the only one.

Back when adups first came out, I managed to verify it by checking the packages installed on the phone, and watching the stuff crash in logcat when I blacklisted the URLs it used on my network...

To check the Gemini for this, we first need to do a few things:
1) Enable developer options in Android:
In Settings, go to About, then tap on Build number option a number of times until you get the toast-message confirming developer option.

2) Ensure debug options are enabled on the device:
In Settings, go to Developer Options, and make sure the toggle is set to On.

3) Connect device:
Use the USB cable, and connect to the USB-C port on the left side of the Gemini (unplug and replug I guess if you already had it connected)

4) Download the driver:
Download latest_usb_driver_windows.zip from here: https://dl-ssl.google.com//android/reposito...ver_windows.zip
(The google driver seems to work, so no need to mess around with the MTK driver...)
Extract ZIP

5) Install the driver:
In Windows, open Device Manager, and you should observe some ADB device under "Other devices", with a yellow triangle on it...
There is more than one way of installing the drivers, you have to follow these steps to make it work... don't use some shortcut method you may know - Window will reject the drivers

Right click on the ADB device with the yellow triangle
Select Update Driver Software…
Select "Browse for driver software on your computer"
Select "Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer"
Select "Show all devices"
Select "Have Disk"
Navigate to where you extracted the ZIP, select the android_winusb.inf file
In the dialog select "Android ADB Interface"
Ignore the "Update Driver Warning" message

Observe new device in Device Manager located at Android Device\Android ADB Interface.


You probably will get a confirmation dialog on your Gemini asking you to trust the computer - make sure you confirm that on the Gemini


Now that we have the drivers are loaded, you need ADB installed:
1) Go to here: https://developer.android.com/studio/index.html
2) Scroll down to "Get just the command line tools" and download the SDK tools.


Check if ADB is working:
1) From command line, navigate to \sdk\platform-tools\
2) Run: adb devices
You should see your device listed (make sure you tap the confirm button in the dialog on the Gemini)


To check for Adups, we'll make a text file, and try to get all the packages on the phone listed in it:
1) From command line, navigate to \sdk\platform-tools\

2) Run these command to dump package names into a text file:
adb shell pm list packages > packages.txt
adb shell pm list packages -s >> packages.txt
adb shell pm list packages -3 >> packages.txt
adb shell pm list packages -d >> packages.txt

3) Open that packages.txt file, and check for anything called "adups"



Is Adups in there?
Nope, cannot find it.
I did spot a com.fota.wirelessupdate though...
Previously the adups packages were:
com.adups.fota
com.adups.fota.sysoper

though that also means "Firmware Over-The-Air" - so does not mean anything.


Does that mean the Gemini is 100% clean?
Unsure.
Apparently Adups did something after they were found out... there are some news stories about a second round of adups fun out there...
https://www.slashgear.com/adups-chinese-spy...g-blu-27493055/

The original adups thing, exfiltrated data to:
bigdata.adups.com
bigdata.adsunflower.com
bigdata.adfuture.cn
bigdata.advmob.cn
221.228.214.101

See: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/11/15/an..._home_to_china/

Maybe someone with better skills can do some network level checking on the Gemini over a period of time, and list all the IPs/domains the device calls out to?

4
Gemini PDA - Hardware / Bluetooth working to connect to car?
« on: March 14, 2018, 04:59:43 pm »
Hi

Would like to hear if anyone has managed to get the Gemini to pair with their car stereo to get audio going?

I've tried a number of times, and just cannot get it to pair.
I can see the stereo show up in the Gemini's BT list, and I can initiate pairing.
The stereo shows something is happening, but then reports "connection failure".

I know car BT is typically crap, but I've managed to get it working with my old phone, to stream Spotify...

I have managed to use BT on the Gemini to send a file from the Gemini to PC, so I guess BT is not totally dead.

Not sure if this is bad PDA or bad car stereo.

Anyone have any success stories?
Or even connected it to another BT audio device like a speaker or headphones?

Thanks

5
Gemini PDA - Hardware / Orientation sensor?
« on: March 12, 2018, 06:45:38 am »
UPDATE: Orientation sensor is working, but you need to unlock it first: https://www.oesf.org/forum/index.php?showto...st&p=284877


Hi guys

So we've heard about the missing compass...

Anyone with a Gemini have a working orientation sensor?

In CPU-Z i have nothing listed under orientation sensor.
Also, Android rotate option does nothing.
Anyway-up answer thing only works one way round...

My other notes:
https://www.oesf.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=34830

I hope this is something they an fix via software.

Would just like to know if anyone else noted these to the contrary.
Thanks!

6
Tips:
The back plate does not close the same way it opens! It opens from the back, and closes at the front. See diagram in printed quick start guide. I tried forcing it close from the back – it doesn’t work like that!

Fn+R is screenshot.

Alt-Tab, Alt-Shift-Tab works!!

Update the Plant Keyboard setup tool from the Play Store… might help with some of the mapping issues I observed…
You can answer incoming calls by pressing the silver button on the outside.
Even with the app updated, your preferences like vibration feedback, sounds, etc won't work. I found rebooting the device immediately after applying keyboard preferences made those settings stick, however setting a US layout from the Gemini app still gives you UK mapping. Using the Android config method is the only way which I can get US mapping on US keyboard

Good:
Packaging is great!

Build quality seems good and sturdy.

Looks great, keyboard feel is surprising, and even has some mechanical noise on the release.

Voice calls work fine. You have to open the Gemini to answer, but works fine holding it to your head with the screen closed.

Spacebar will open the lock screen.

USB access from computer (Win 10) works fine, left port – no special drivers required. You do have to set USB connection mode in Gemini from notification area.

In a quick comparison with my GDP Pocket, I’d say the Gemini’s keyboard types a little slower, but more accurately!
The assistant button on the side works fantastic for web searches and general knowledge, and you can use it without opening the device.

1080p video streaming on Youtube works fine (I did enable clearmotion setting under display settings)
You can customise the task-bar with any apps. You are not locked into only some apps like on some samsung tablets. There are no pre-installed junk apps – the icons you see for Skype, etc on the task bar are just icons – those apps are not installed.

All screws accounted for.

USB-C has good snap.

Planet’s notes app is pretty good.


Bad - Hardware:
You almost have to break the thing to open the back. Seriously. Once it’s open, you can see the plastic burrs where the over ripped at the plastic. Maybe that is just the way it wears in, or maybe I’ll stop catching after too many open/close events. Also, you have to travel with that jagged piece of metal to open the back cover.

The 9-key is weak and semi-depressed, but still works (same issue noted be someone else as well).

There is no compass.


Orientation sensor is working, but you have to unlock it first: https://www.oesf.org/forum/index.php?showto...st&p=284877
CPU-Z still lists an absent orientation sensor, but it does work!

[img]https://preview.ibb.co/gSDpYS/Screenshot_20180312_223808.png\" border=\"0\" class=\"linked-image\" /]
[img]https://preview.ibb.co/ejPJSn/Screenshot_20180312_214559.png\" border=\"0\" class=\"linked-image\" /]

Despite having an order over 1000, and not having my order lock, or any delivery notification during first batch shipment, I got my delivery much later, and CPU is X25.

Signal drops to 3G very frequently, even though 4G coverage is available. Might be due to metal body blocking reception?

Supplied USB-C cable is pretty thin in comparison with other high current charging cables I have for other devices.


Bad – Software:
The supposed anyside-up answering ability doesn’t work. Only one speaker functions for calls. Both microphones seem to work. This is likely due to the orientation sensor being absent, but I hope this is a software thing which can be fixed…
(Stereo audio does work from Youtube...)
Even with orientation sensor unlocked, this feature does not appear to work


Orientation sensor is working, but you have to unlock it first: https://www.oesf.org/forum/index.php?showto...st&p=284877

During the initial setup, the keyboard mapping is UK, even though the model is US. So if you need to type a password which contains a char which is incorrectly mapped, you’ll have a lot of fun! You can only fix that one you complete setup.

Once in Android, you can use Planet’s keyboard config app, or the basic Android one. With much mucking about, it seems what works best is to use the Android one. Choose Config Keyboard from the Notification tray, then select Gemini, then choose layout as Gemini USA. Don’t use the Gemini provided keyboard config app. (There is an update available in the Play Store for the Planet Keyboard config tool – maybe that fixes this…)

Google search bar starts off as just a white rectangle. There are no options to remove the rectangle, only to create it as a widget, and once create you cannot remove that either.
You cannot seem to hide the android controls on the left. They do disappear during full screen video.

The official Planet Keyboard app on the Play Store is published by “Private Planet”, which hosts a bunch of other non-related and questionable apps… not very confidence-inspiring…

Bad - Other:
Film covering over phone is stuck to the body, so when you unwrap it, there is some glue residue on the phone.

Some glue or something on the spacebar – not able to remove easily. Might have to try a solvent.

Some of the cover plates don’t line up flush against the plastic.

Screen protector is sticky temp kind and should be removed, however I wonder what will happen with the screen, since the screen presses the keys down to close…

The screen, although bright does nothing to light up the keyboard in the dark. Its pretty much useless in the dark unless you hold the screen at 90 degree angle with one hand.


All in all, its a pretty good device and at the backer-price, a good deal.
Here is a pic of it next to the GPD Pocket:
[img]https://preview.ibb.co/dHJOtS/IMG_20180312_232504.jpg\" border=\"0\" class=\"linked-image\" /]

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