Topics

1

Cosmo Communicator - Android / Cosmo Communicator running on Google Fi

« on: November 10, 2019, 12:20:40 pm »

Alright.  I have about 48 hours now of getting acquainted with my new Cosmo and sorting out the ends and bits of using it as an unsupported device on Google Fi.

Top line?  Works - so long as you DO NOT INSTALL THE GOOGLE FI APP.  Doing so means that if you ever want to receive an SMS message again you're looking at a factory reset AND getting stuck in a never ending loop of failed device registration.

I shut down my old Google Fi phone, pulled the SIM, put it and a 400GB Sandisk card into the Cosmo, powered on and it worked.  Then I installed the Google Fi app, merrily went about installing dozens of other things - then figured out that my SMS sends were not making it through.

Trouble shooting on a long road...  I went through four factory resets, trying different methods and twists of installing the Google Fi app.  Voice, data, SMS work before installing the Google Fi app.  After, Voice and Data still work, SMS receive works, but SMS send dies and the app fails to register the device properly - which throws it into a never ending fail to register loop - which eats battery..

Other than not being able to run the Google Fi application itself, it seems to be working quite well.  Every time I restart, the device prompts me to install the Google Fi application so that it is fully registered.  So, I have to select 'later' every time.

When I log into the Google Fi application via web browser, it has the Planet Cosmo Communicator listed as one of my devices and with my proper phone number assigned to it.

Will this device ever be fully supported by Google Fi and it's application?  Well, I doubt Google Fi is going to even blink unless they have a few thousand of these showing up on their network.

Is anyone else trying to use the Cosmo on Google Fi?  Have you had any better/worse/different results than I have?

2

Gemini PDA - Android / Neverwinter Nights Enhanced Edition for Android

« on: February 14, 2019, 12:30:00 pm »

It works.  In fact, it works pretty darn well actually.

Neverwinter Nights is seeing a pretty significant resurgence in popularity with the BeamDog Enhanced Edition updates and being present on the Steam store for PC/Mac/Linux.  However, hidden in all of that is a release through Google Play for NWNEE Android.

NWN is a keyboard heavy game.  It requires using WASD -and- arrow keys for navigation - you have to rotate the world and zoom in/out to see/do things.  AND on persistent worlds in particular, being able to communicate requires that keyboard.  I don't think of it as playable on a phone.  The Gemini changes that equation.

Not only is it playable, but it is enjoyable to play on the Gemini.  Last night I was logged in an playing on a NWN persistent world with ~90 other players on it.  I was able to navigate, communicate, etc.  Complex combat 'in game' for spellcasters might be a bit difficult - I haven't tried that yet.  For things like that you might still want to use a 'gaming rig'.  But for connecting and 'social interaction', it's a fantastic mobile solution.

3

Gemini PDA - Android / Google Fi

« on: May 30, 2018, 01:16:11 pm »

So, Google just announced two new phones to be available for use on Google Fi.  Both are glass slabs just like the other glass slabs that they offered before.

From my understanding, the Gemini has the requisite antenna support.

What it would need, in my theory, is the carrier & WiFi hopping magic software that Google Fi uses on their phones.

Frankly, all carriers could do with a bit more variety in their offerings.  Google's offerings in particular has been distinctly saddening.

Planet Computers would be unlikely to get a meeting with Google Fi's product guy, but I can dream, right?

4

Gemini PDA - Android / FM radio tuner app?

« on: May 25, 2018, 01:45:26 am »

Has anyone found an Andriod app that uses the FM radio tuner?  Everything I am finding is strictly streaming, which misses the point.

5

Gemini PDA - Android / microSDXC cards and forced ExFAT to FAT32

« on: May 22, 2018, 01:23:21 pm »

So, if you put a 64GB or larger 'factory formatted' card into your Gemini, it forces you to format the card prior to recognizing it.

The Gemini apparently does not support ExFAT.  Why not?  How do we get it included so that it can behave like any other Android phone from the last 5+ years with regards to SDXC media?

Of note - Gemini has claimed support of microSDXC media to 256GB.  The SD association specification for SDXC media over 32GB includes ExFAT.  Without that, the product is, 'out of spec'.

Yes, I know, Microsoft proprietary format adopted as an industry specification without consulting the masses, EXT4 would have been better, etc...  None of that is relevant though.

Your modern stand-alone camera will require EXFAT on all cards > 32GB.

This has far more to do with device interactions than the Gemini's internal microSDXC usage.

Put that card in a USB reader, connect it to the Gemini, and it fails to recognize it and demands that your camera card be formatted.  Copying files off of USB mounted SDXC or microSDXC media to the Gemini is a no-go without an Android ExFAT driver.

6

Gemini PDA - Android / Lid Switch Behavior - can it be changed?

« on: May 14, 2018, 12:41:10 pm »

This stems from me wanting to be able to do something that should be quite simple.

I want to play and control playback of audio over a wired headset while the Gemini is shut and in my pocket.  The audio playback question itself is solved in another thread here.  This one is specific to the lid switch behavior.  Audio player information here is given on background to detail why I want the lid switch behavior to be different.

I have an Android earbuds headset with Android compatible in-line three button remote.  The remote allows me to:
Top button = volume up
Middle button 1X = play or pause toggle
Middle button 2X = next track
Middle button 3X = previous track
Bottom button = volume down

On the Gemini, this works fine as long as the lid is open.  Normal operations with the audio program open = perfect.  'locked' at the lock screen with audio controls = perfect.

Close the Gemini lid, though, and the audio continues, but the controls fail.

When the Gemini lid closes, what state does the unit place itself in?  This isn't the same as most Android phones screen-off state.  It is something else - but what to call this?  Tupor?

Where is the Gemini lid close behavior monitored and maintained in the software stack?  Is there a hidden menu somewhere that allows the user to override it's default settings?

7

Gemini PDA - Android / Wired headphone remote issue

« on: May 13, 2018, 10:36:52 pm »

Typing this on my Gemini.  Mostly doing well with it.  I found a set of wired Android compatible earbuds.  With the Gemini open, the remote works find for volume control, pause/play, next track. previous track.  Close the Gemini lid though, and playback continues but the wired headphone remote stops working.  Is there a setting somewhere to change the Android lid behavior so the wired headphone remote keeps working with the id closed?

8

Gemini PDA - Android / Google search bar on homepage - 5 icons wide. (1x5 widget)

« on: May 08, 2018, 06:13:58 pm »

OK, so I could see potentially giving Google 2 icons worth of home page - maybe ...  but 5 for a search bar PLUS icons for actually useful things - that is a bit much.

So, I want to shrink the Google search bar down to 1x1 or 1x2 instead of it's 1x5 format.  But - it cannot be selected, dragged or deleted.

There are positions for 30 icons on my home screen and Google has decided they need 5 of them for a mandatory search bar?

Alternatively I've tried to switch 'home screen' to one of the other desktops - nope.  Home can only be the far left desktop - not the middle one or the right one, only the far left one.  And - the far left one will not move right or allow itself to be replaced by one of the others.

And here's the kicker - it's use of 5 icons worth of space is completely pointless as you're not entering any text directly into it.  Selecting the thing pops up a full screen search application.  If that width were actually there as a text input box, I might be a bit more sympathetic.  But,  as-is, what a waste of screen real estate.

Does anyone have a solution to make Google's search BBBBBAAAAARRRRR into a G! icon?

9

Gemini PDA - Sailfish OS / Jolla shop not available in USA?

« on: March 20, 2018, 05:42:42 pm »

So - looking forward to Sailfish, I went out doing some research.
News about Jolla Sailfish:
https://jolla.com/#News

Announcement of Jolla Sailfish X for sale in the Jolla shop for 49EUR for a SONY phone:
https://jolla.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/1...4860&x39789

Jolla Shop:
https://shop.jolla.com/

Sorry, not available in your country

So - we got that .

10

Gemini PDA - Linux / Gemini Bootloader going open source...?

« on: March 16, 2018, 01:00:29 pm »

In this video:
https://pyra-handheld.com/boards/threads/pl...20#post-1433606

At 19:00 (ish) the guy from Planet Computers talks about taking the Gemini bootloader open source in the next few days or weeks.

Ultimate.  Unlocked.  Bootloader.

This should allow us to boot any OS we want, from eMMC or microSDXC and, if released, ensure that the Gemini is never ever obsoleted due to the manufacturer ending updates.

That is important for Android too.  Personally I own a Galaxy Note 3.  Hardware wise it was bleeding edge when released and even today is better than most mid-range Android phones.  It is stuck forever on Android 5.0 as Samsung as ended support and the bootloader is locked.  That is why I'm leaving Samsung

Give us quality devices combined with the philosophy that allows releasing an open source bootloader ensuring that we will always be theoretically capable of updating our own devices?  Yeah, I'll be a long term customer at that point.

11

Gemini PDA - General Discussion / Questions about the Gemini that we wish we could ask Planet Computers

« on: January 11, 2018, 06:07:54 pm »

Since there isn't really a way for us to ask questions via Indiegogo that are more complex than a tweet, I started this thread for questions we wish we could ask if we had a good way to do so.  If at some point anyone from Planet Computers gets an account on www.oesf.org and is willing to provide answers to any of these - that would be awesome.

So, on with a few questions to get started:

We know that the Gemini has a 64GB eMMC and a microSDXC port.  We know that it is capable of booting Android and Linux.
Are Android and Linux both installed to the eMMC on all units?
  If so, can a user delete either OS to reclaim space on the eMMC for their preferred OS and still boot?

Is the microSDXC slot bootable? I.e. if I properly place a bootable image of my preferred Linux distribution onto a microSDXC card and put it in the slot, can I select it as bootable media?

Is the Android/Debian dual boot as seen in the CES videos done by having Android and only Android on the eMMC and Debian Linux and only Debian Linux on a card in the microSDXC slot?

Will the Gemini ship with both Android and Debian Linux factory installed  on the eMMC or will users who want to use Linux need to create their own bootable microSDXC?

Has telephony and messaging been tested under Linux?
  If so, what telephony and messaging software has been tested?

There have been concerns voiced over using the touchscreen as a mouse in Linux with a desktop OS.  Is it possible to use the touchscreen under Linux as a touch pad mouse (relative instead of absolute positioning)?

Has a 3D driver been sorted out for Linux?

The specifications for the Mediatek X27 appear to include an FM radio.  Will this be usable under Android?  Will this be usable under Linux?

From a comment at CES it sounds like there are plans to ship the Gemini with MS Office pre-installed.  Will pre-installed applications be user removable from the Android OS or locked?

It appears that the Gemini is shipping with Android 7.11.  How often can we expect OS updates?  How often can we expect security updates?  How long into the future will Planet support the Gemini with OS and security updates?