Messages

1

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 - Hardware / Google authenticator vs on-board camera

« on: May 27, 2018, 06:26:46 pm »

yeah, that is a pain.
only way around it is to add the account manually. you should get a code option to add the account. check your gmail / office 365 2fa enrollment screen for a long code.
then go into google authenticator, tap the + icn to add an account.
you'll see a menu pop up with only "scan qr code" on there (landscape mode), but if you drag that menu option UP you see there is another option to enter the code.
alternative, view the app in portrait mode...
enter that code and you should be set...
careful, i dont think there is validation on that, if you enter the code incorrect, it'll result in incorrect 2fa codes!

3

Gemini PDA - Android / Google certification

« on: March 29, 2018, 07:15:58 pm »

Looks like it might be the IMEI number that is required instead of the GSF number?
https://www.ghacks.net/2018/03/27/google-lo...om-google-apps/

One of the comments notes - what do you do on a non-phone device like a TV box? That won't have an IMEI number...

4

Gemini PDA - Android / Google certification

« on: March 29, 2018, 07:08:03 pm »

Tried the Device ID app by "evozi".
Seems like the author of that app also distributes the app outside the Google Play Store: https://www.evozi.com/l.php?go=deviceid_no_network

Both my Android Device ID and Google Services Framework ID came back looking different to ones wovoja listed.
Sooo - I guess that is good. We can probably can use that GSF ID to register on that Google page...

I don't think I'll try and do that ID registration now. Everything still seems to be working.
Will hang onto those IDs - just in case I get locked out of Google services, and then try to see if it works...

If anyone else does go ahead with the ID registration - please report back here what is involved with the registration (besides entering the ID), and if it works.

Thanks

5

Gemini PDA - Android / Google certification

« on: March 26, 2018, 10:15:01 pm »

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/03/goo...rom-logging-in/

Custom ROMs and possibly the Gemini-PDA Android will require a manual registration via http://g.co/androiddeviceregistration

Can someone please confirm if this is already the case for the Gemini-PDA ?

Also noted here: https://hardware.slashdot.org/story/18/03/2...from-logging-in

My Gemini says "Uncertified", and it's as stock as the day it came out the box.

I wonder if we can use that androiddeviceregistration link above, and still use Google services & apps?

Any Gemini users tried it yet?

6

Gemini PDA - Hardware / Turning off keyboard sounds?

« on: March 18, 2018, 06:49:24 pm »

Hi
I am very happy to have the haptic feedback on the keys but I would prefer that the keys didn't make a noise on pressing them. I can't find a setting to control this under the Android settings. Under the Planet keyboard app I can find the possibility of turning off the keyboard sounds under "Configure" and controlling the keybord volume under "Advanced" but neither seems to work.

Has anyone found a way of muting the keyboard sounds without muting all sounds?

Thanks

Hi, that planet keyboard app can be updated from the play store, but even after updating the settings (sound, feedback settings) didn't work for me.
What DID work was restarting the device after applying those settings in the Gemini app. I guess they only read their own config on restart...

So yes, you can definitely turn the sound off.

7

Gemini PDA - Android / [False alarm]SMS: Not all recipients recieve message

« on: March 18, 2018, 05:31:37 pm »

Hmm, that is strange...
"So, Messaging refuses to work because of this formatting" -> do you mean the default android text message app? "Messaging"?

Using Messaging I am able to send an SMS to a +XX XX XXXX XXXX number...

Do you have this same issue on another android phone?

Maybe as a test, change the number of just that one individual, to - for example, remove the spaces or something, and then test a group txt again, and see if that makes a difference?
Also, make sure the number is set as "mobile" against that contact, and that you don't have any off unicode or some funny characters in that number.

I dunno if Google would have such a defect in their own app... Google built the libphonenumber library which can basically figure out any phone number in an any country (I have used this myself): https://github.com/googlei18n/libphonenumber
And they use their own lib in their own app: https://android.googlesource.com/platform/p...mberHelper.java

Were you sending as SMS or MMS? If you type a too long message, Messaging will automatically convert it to an MMS... For your troublesome recipient to receive an MMS, their APN on their phone needs to be set up for this...
Perhaps your group test was an MMS, but your second, direct test was SMS?

8

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.

9

Gemini PDA - General Discussion / Why buy the Gemini?

« on: March 15, 2018, 07:38:11 pm »

Are you the Mr Mobile?

For me, unconventional gadget, yes, but a big factor was the promised linux dual boot (and the hope that it would come with telephony support).
As you prob know linux support is still work in progress, and who knows if it'll ever really run or have telephone.

At time of backing this project, that was not a question yet.

Appeal of a non-Android phone was privacy and security, and again the unconventional platform, and possible flexibility it would give. (Sure, you might not get angry birds on there, but there are a 100 other things you could do...)

If my only concern was keyboard/mobile productivity, then another mobile keyboard probably would have worked.
Having it in one package probably is more convenience, but you would have more features pairing another keyboard to a standard phone - rear camera, NFC, etc. which the Gemini lacks.

Also fond memories of the Psion might be a thing - though not applicable to me.

So Gemini over Jorno, probably:
-Unrealised hopes of pure linux phone
-Uniqueness & geek cred
-Nostalgia
-Convenience
-LEDs (everyone loves LEDs, right?)

I agree - this thing is not for everyone.

10

Gemini PDA - General Discussion / Some useful hints to get started for all who have received their Gemini

« on: March 15, 2018, 06:31:59 pm »

Install ADB Drivers (Windows):

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 (link from this page: https://developer.android.com/studio/run/win-usb.html)
(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)

11

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?

12

Gemini PDA - General Discussion / "customer service"

« on: March 14, 2018, 05:10:24 pm »

While I generally agree with the factory story regarding the CPU, etc-

I do hold some blame to Planet for this mixup.

Did they not run a single benchmark on the pre-prod units or the first few off the production line?
They would have instantly spotted this!

The QA videos Planet shared shows them testing the frigging speakers of the devices en masse, but they didn't bother running a benchmark on it?

Thats like Toyota building a new car, and start selling it in dealerships without ever test driving the car once.

I have a hard time believing that.

13

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

14

Gemini PDA - General Discussion / community powered fault tracking system for Planet

« on: March 13, 2018, 07:22:23 am »

Good idea, however do not go down the path of building it yourself, that is crazy. We'll end up having to use our bug tracker to track bugs in our bug tracker.
The thing you want it complex, and had been done many times.
https://blog.capterra.com/top-free-bug-tracking-software/
Bugzilla is pretty famous, but you have to install it. It's not hosted.
There are probably other hosted options out there, but expect to pay a small fee.

15

Gemini PDA - General Discussion / Just got it - observations and issues

« on: March 12, 2018, 05:20:44 pm »

Even with the Planet Keyboard app updated from the Play Store, 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.