Messages

76

Gemini PDA - Android / Displaylink and Android 8.1

« on: June 30, 2019, 08:56:04 pm »

Wow. I'm glad I saw this post from you before upgrading. I really rely on my DisplayLink adapter. I might hold off until this is resolved (as well as the battery drain I have heard about)

Me too! Too many bugs for me to upgrade yet. And with the Cosmo release around the corner, my guess is the attention will not be on the Gemini - so we might be waiting a while. I'm OK with that. Oreo is working fine for me for the time being.

77

Gemini PDA - Hardware / A year with the Gemini

« on: June 12, 2019, 07:24:15 am »

I had expected to work on normal linux for Gemini. I didn't. I yielded to Android. After I bought a browser, Hermit, I even kept this Google Store thingy active. Almost all icons on my screen are Hermit light apps. The two major exceptions follow below.

Termux allows me to do most tasks. Emacs as editor and agenda. The Gemini thus good enough to do small-scale programming! I did part of Advent of Code on it. I also use Termux to ssh into my home server, of course. The Gemini has been created to take notes. When I had a contract, I brought the Gemini to meetings. So much less intrusive than a laptop! Still, there are times when I prefer pen and paper.

My other big app is OsmAnd~ It probably helps that my home country is thoroughly mapped not only in Open Street Map, but also the other data sources that the app uses for its maps, such as maritime information.

I think I dropped it twice, from 1m25 or so. Not on concrete. Once when it was open, which caused the hinge to twist. Easy enough to take it off and un-twist it. No problems with its tension since, screen still standing in the correct angle, proper resistance when closing, etc.

The keys did make scratches (on the foil?) on the screen, but I only notice that when the screen is off, or in light so bright that I cannot read the screen, anyway.

Super happy with my Gemini!

How did I not know about Hermit! Thanks for the recommendation

78

Gemini PDA - Android / Silver assistant button

« on: May 29, 2019, 12:58:53 am »

So, people who have trouble with google assistant, try Saiy ( and set it in the gemini voice app). The only downside is I think this app has adds, but they are really rare. I'd pay for it.

Thanks for the suggestion! Saiy is no longer on the Play store, but I found a link to it on XDA Forums. Great app and the silver button now works for me again

79

Gemini PDA - Android / Displaylink and Android 8.1

« on: May 28, 2019, 08:52:15 pm »

Wow. I'm glad I saw this post from you before upgrading. I really rely on my DisplayLink adapter. I might hold off until this is resolved (as well as the battery drain I have heard about)

80

Gemini PDA - Android / Poor data transfer rates on the Gemini

« on: April 16, 2019, 10:05:47 pm »

I've recently been trying out data streaming on my Gemini, and an odd factor has emerged. As background, the data is being sourced from a Drobo5 NAS unit, through ethernet cable to a Netgear router, and from thence, via wifi to the Gemini. I also have a Nokia 8 mobile phone doing the same thing, in the same way. Both the Gemini and the Nokia 8 have the same range of software doing the streaming and display. Both using the 5g for wifi In fact, the only difference between the two is that the Nokia is on version 9 Android, whilst the Gemini is still on version 7.1.1.
Accessing the same .mkv file on both, using ES File Explore Pro feeding into BSPlayer, on the Nokia 8, playback is perfect, without a hitch. On the Gemini, however, playback is continually broken up with seldom more than a few seconds of continuous streaming, both in sound and vision, and is totally unwatchable.
Does anyone have a comment, and hopefully a reason and a solution to this problem?

I realise that I could simply copy, or FTP the file to the device, but streaming is so much better, and faster, and does not eat up storage space. Even in this there is a problem. Most video files are large, and in FTP transfer, the time taken is commensurately long. many times the machine will go to sleep during transfer, and the transfer stops. Any measures to interrupt the sleep mode serve only to abort the transfer. I have, recently, bought a Bluetooth mouse, which might introduce a sleep cancelling input without aborting the transfer, which I have yet to use for that purpose.

I tried streaming a few 1080 movies in mp4 format from my NAS to my Gemini over 2.5g Wifi and it streamed fine. Maybe it's not the data transfer rate that is the issue? I mean a 1080 movie only needs about 8mbps I think. I know the Gemini can stream data faster than that. What quality is the video? Is it 1080 or 4k? It could also depend what format the media is in. Maybe the Gemini is having trouble decoding it on the fly. The CPU in your Nokia might be a bit better and therefor can decode it faster?

81

Gemini PDA - Android / App that detects external screen and changes DPI when it connects, reverts DPI when it disconnects?

« on: April 16, 2019, 08:21:48 pm »

I have ordered & obtained the Gemini HDMI cable which even with a "limited" android system is one of the most awesome things ever! However, there is one major reason why using the screen feels a little meh: everything is HUGE.

Now I could change the DPI in the settings but that would change them permanently even if the screen disconnects, right?

Therefore, I'm looking for an app that will automatically observe & detect when HDMI becomes active and change to another custom set of DPI/scale, and revert back when the screen disconnects.  Does anyone know an app that can do that?

I have 2 suggestions you could try:

1. You can use Tasker to change the DPI based on certain triggers. I have mine set to change the dpi when certain apps open (such as Outlook and other apps that benefit from a higher DPI). It then changes the DPI back when the app closes. I'm not 100% sure, but you could probably set it to change DPI when an external screen is connected

2. You could use an app called Sentio Desktop. It kind of replaces your launcher when it detects an external screen. It's a pretty cool launcher as it looks a lot more "desktopy" and it is much more mouse friendly. It also automatically adjusts the dpi to make it higher (then lower once you quit)

Either way, you need to give the app permission to be able to change the DPI. You need to do this using ADB. It's pretty easy, but it involves connecting your Gemini to your computer (you don't need root). Sentio has a pretty good tutorial on how to do this. Hope this helps!

82

Gemini PDA - Hardware / HDMI resolution

« on: March 06, 2019, 11:58:03 pm »

I've has bad luck getting the PC adaptor to work with different screen. I eventually went with a DisplayLink adapter and it works with any screen I plug it into (even with an HDMI adapter attached). That doesn't really answer your question, but it might be an avenue worth exploring.

83

Gemini PDA - Android / Neverwinter Nights Enhanced Edition for Android

« on: March 06, 2019, 06:57:02 pm »

Agree Grench. I'm all for different opinions and people discussing what is and what isn't relevant in a forum. But when a poster uses words such as "childish" and "stupid" to attack a perfectly relevant post, I would just ignore them. There are always going to be trolls and haters. As a wise woman once said - "Shake it off"

84

Gemini PDA - Android / Stray CAPSLOCK after Fn and TAB

« on: March 06, 2019, 05:51:25 pm »

Even stranger - for me at least. If I use the fn key in combination with another key to produce a symbol, then hit the tab key, it still turns the caps key on. So if I want to do a colon, followed by a tab, caps is automatically turned on for the following letters.

85

Gemini PDA - General Discussion / DisplayLink?

« on: November 10, 2018, 03:41:29 am »

I think miked1541 hit on the solution maybe. You need the DisplayLink App installed. The official app is the DisplayLink Presenter. there is also an unreleased app in development called  DisplayLink Desktop - which I use. Seems to work pretty well. I think the main difference is it supports multiple displays... https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?...mo&hl=en_AU

Having said that, I have not had as much luck as miked1541 on the RH USB port. I get a display, but it is flakey, cuts out sometimes or - more often - freezes. The LH port is fine though.

86

Gemini PDA - Android / File Manager

« on: November 10, 2018, 03:24:46 am »

Soory - I know that's not a lot of help - but it confirms it is not a rooted / non rooted problem...

87

Gemini PDA - Android / File Manager

« on: November 10, 2018, 03:20:50 am »

I'm not rooted either. I use Total Commander, but I also tried the stock file explorer. With both I can see and explore the internal storage and the root (see screenshot of Total Commander with internal storage open)

88

Gemini PDA - Android / Airplane mode when closed

« on: October 29, 2018, 06:28:44 am »

As I'm using my Gemini as a PDA with my phone usually not far away, I wonder if there is an easy way to have some kind of modus where whenever I close the lid of the Gemini, it goes offline in airplane mode. And turns back online when I open it again. I think it would save a lot of battery time.

I would probably want to be able to override this as well, as that's not always convenient, but if this would be possible I guess I would use it 90% of the time.

You could probably use Tasker to put the Gemini into airplane mode when the screen shuts off. I think you might need root for this though. If you don't want root, you might be able to just use Tasker to turn off the wifi, bluetooth and data. That would still save a lot of juice.

89

Gemini PDA - Hardware / HDMI Limitations?

« on: July 15, 2018, 07:04:36 am »

I've also had issues with the HDMI adaptor. I've had much more luck with a DisplayLink usb-HDMI adaptor.