I just bought a new Logitech mouse with tons of customizable buttons on it, and it got me thinking...what if you could use your PPC as a mouse for your PC? That would be the ultimate in customizability!! Think of it...not only would you have a bunch of hard buttons to play with, but you could also have a customized screen for whichever app has the focus on your PC!
I am nowhere near advanced enough to do this, nor do I know if it's even possible...just throwing it out there as an idea for whoever wants to take up the challenge. I figure it could work on most devices because the camera and flash LED are on the opposite side from the screen and buttons, and BT could be the wireless link. Heck, for that amount of customizability in a mouse I'd even settle for a wired USB version :wink:.
Well enough fantasizing for today...
you're talking about using the camera as the optical sensor?
you'd need it on a special mouse mat that emits light of some kind, and I doubt the feedback would be quick enough.
and i wouldn't fancy pushing my expensive xda around on the desk like a mouse.
Right, I was thinking of the camera as the optical sensor, and the flash LED as the light source. I have a XV6700/Apache, and when I turn on the camera and the flash and set it down on my desk, the screen isn't completely dark because the camera isn't flush against the surface...there's still enough space for light from the LED to reach the lens. Obviously this would vary from device to device...but even in cases where it's completely dark, you could put the "mouse" on top of a few mm of clear plastic or plexiglas to give the LED enough room to bounce the light over. Actually, this option might be desirable as it would address your concern about pushing your device around and getting scratches on it.
In fact, now that I'm thinking about it, using plastic/plexiglas might be better for battery life too. Instead of having the flash stay on all the time, the "mouse" could use the ambient room light to detect initial movement, which in turn would trigger a "wake event" for the flash, and then obviously the flash could be timed to turn off after so many seconds of being idle.
I know speed would likely be an issue as far as feedback goes. Sure, it wouldn't be as quick as my new Logitech laser mouse, but in video mode the camera (at least on the Apache) can go up to 19 fps...so perhaps it would be doable. Obviously you're not going to use Photoshop or play Quake with the thing . I was just thinking added convenience for everyday usage.
well all optical mice i've used have gon crazy on shiny surfaces
their cams are even made directly for this purpos
so i would think using the pda as a mouse would mean it would go even more crazy on a shiny surface
try search i recall posts about this in the past
Issues
light souce: prolong usage of you flash is bad. The life span of the flash may be different for different devices, but I'm pretty sure HTC doesn't give you a nice LED flash to be used for more than 30 seconds per usage. There are reports of 'dying' flash after using it as flashlight.
camera (major issue): phone camera is a fix lense camera (there are a few new Nokia/Sony model that arent). Such camera is not able to take clear picture of close distance object. Try taking a picture of something at a range of 3 inches , at best possible light condition. You won't get a decent picture. Even high tech digital camera is not able to take any picture of any object that is in range of less than 3 inches (even with Macro e.g. the flower, mode on). You can't do much 'mous-ing' with blur images.
It is a good idea though.
just an idea, but what about just using it as a touch pad??
dahquim
Very expensive mouse :lol:
Just get an optical RF mouse.. so much cheaper..
Come to think of it, better get a bluetooth mouse that you can use with both your PC and PPC!
Hmm, I don't know. I just imagined a Universal used as a mouse. Not a pretty picture.
Any way, as for the touch pad idea, it's fairly easy to implement, but it doesn't have the resolution to handle even blow average PC screen which is 800x600 pixels.
hanmin said:
Even high tech digital camera is not able to take any picture of any object that is in range of less than 3 inches (even with Macro e.g. the flower, mode on). You can't do much 'mous-ing' with blur images.
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OK, so let's say you have a clear glass desk and you attach a board underneath it at a distance of 3 inches so it can focus... j/k
levenum said:
as for the touch pad idea, it's fairly easy to implement, but it doesn't have the resolution to handle even blow average PC screen which is 800x600 pixels.
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I don't think dahquim meant "touch pad" to mean "tablet PC" or a remote touch-screen clone of your PC monitor (you can do that with LogMeIn). I think he meant simply losing the "mouse" functionality and keeping the ability to have the device's screen display "soft buttons" that could execute commands and that would change depending on whichever app has the focus on your PC. That would somewhat relieve one of having to remember different keyboard shortcuts for each different PC app you use. Same idea as the Optimus Keyboard but on a smaller scale.
touchpad.. ?
Touchpad idea is nice - it could work just like touchpads on laptop; ie. moving finger on mobile device screen causes mouse cursor to move on PC screen, tapping mobile device screen causes mouse click.... who'll implement this ? ;-)
hanmin said:
Issues
light souce: prolong usage of you flash is bad. The life span of the flash may be different for different devices, but I'm pretty sure HTC doesn't give you a nice LED flash to be used for more than 30 seconds per usage. There are reports of 'dying' flash after using it as flashlight.
camera (major issue): phone camera is a fix lense camera (there are a few new Nokia/Sony model that arent). Such camera is not able to take clear picture of close distance object. Try taking a picture of something at a range of 3 inches , at best possible light condition. You won't get a decent picture. Even high tech digital camera is not able to take any picture of any object that is in range of less than 3 inches (even with Macro e.g. the flower, mode on). You can't do much 'mous-ing' with blur images.
It is a good idea though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hanmin was right pointing these issues. i'll add some more, from a developer's point of view:
-so you want to have this as a wireless device: think of the power consumption: on one hand you need the camera to be on, with the led, and also a wireless connection for transmitting the data like BT or WiFi.. The baterry wont last long
-even if we cant get the camera to focus at nearly 1-2mm, we could still detect movement of some kind (so the idea would work..in a way or another :roll: ). but please note: there are tens of types of devices, you cant get to make the trick for all.
-it wouldnt be very precise: did you even tried to create an icon? you need to tap over the right pixel, do you think it will work with this?
-ok so you're a fanatic gamer : poor device and poor you, on one hand you'll ruing the device, on the other you'll go nuts because... : slow reaction times, low accuracy...
I see that you've thought about the idea of creating a touchpad out of the pocketpcs. I worked on such a project once. It was indeed interesting. The only problem was that: (issues again)
-the screen is not so sensitive to finger pressure as a touchpad is
-you'll mostly have to use the stilus
But at least this approach is functional.
Regards,
Radu
Yes was thinking more the "set of buttons on [email protected] that let you do quick and easy thinkgs to whatever program your using.
For example, how about being able to switch virtual desktops or having a list of programs on the ppc screen that you switch between... a la Alt-Tab??
just ideas, but of course would be completely customisable (macro buttons)
dahquim
Looks like this guy got the concept up and running on his Nokia...
http://www.pyrofersprojects.com/nokiamouse.php
This is just a very vague idea, but wouldn't it be possible to build an external flash controlled via the headphone jack?
There are several cheap flashes on the market, and almost all can be triggered manually. Whenever you take a picture, the phone simluates that shutter sound of a real DSLR camera.
I'm not big with electronics or even soldering, but shouldn't it be possible to build a device that uses that sudden change of voltage on the headphone jack (the "sound signal" is nothing else than a change of voltage) to trigger an external flash?
Sounds good, but there are so many parameters for syncing a flash device which make it very difficult (I think)...
The phone makes the sound by the looks of it after it has taken the picture, the flash needs to be before the photo is takes so for the method you're thinking a custom app would be needed to make a sound before/as the picture is taken.
I'm no real whiz when it comes to electronics but outputting a sound/signal from the audio jack and have it picked up by some device designed to trigger a flash shouldn't be too complex (more than complex enough for myself ) The problem is going to lie in the program itself. To do it you're going to have to have a camera program load and play a sound and almost instantaneously take a picture. There can not be ANY lag or allowance for latency in this or the flash will be out of time with the snapshot. If the phone is in the middle of doing something else while a photo is taken (background apps or something) then this might delay the loading of the audio file and put the flash out of sync with the snapshot.
just my 2 cents
Perhaps the sync doesn't have to be perfect. If you set a large shutter time (if that is possible at al) the flash would only have to be somewhere between start and stop.
An interesting idea, but if you are going to carry around a DSLR type camera flash, then you might as well carry a small compact camera with a built in flash because size wise there wont be much of a difference. Or if you are thinking of a small LED light to simulate the LED flash of a camera phone, then get something like this turn it on, point and take the picture. I have a dual LED key chain light that I have used once or twice as a flash for the camera (all manual of course).
true but a long shutter time means more chance of blurring the image if it's not held steady
The device wouldn't need to be large, just big enough to hold a battery or 2 (most LEDs require 3v the super bright ones a bit more) and the circuitry to receive the signal and turn the LED on. Unless you can work out a way to power it off the USB port or run a wire inside and run from the battery, then the device wouldn't be bulky or anything.
since you'd need a special app anyway you could just do everything via the usb port then
SgtMoo said:
true but a long shutter time means more chance of blurring the image if it's not held steady
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not really if the Flash is a real 'flash' and not just a led turning on and of.
this sounds interresting for all flashless devices, i´d suggest to build a camera app thet supports this and gives a signal to trigger the flash. also you could just build the device and suggest support for it to other camera app developers.
can't the usb port of the SGS give out +5V? If yes one can simply attach a led+resistor to the usb port, and you've got flash.
Moved thread to general discussion section
I decided to take my MOJO apart and found that it had three buttons inside. the two that are closer to the front are lock screen and reset. The one under the usb 3.0 port from what i can tell does nothing. there is also a ribbon cable plug under the front where the light is. Can these buttons be used for anything like unlocking the device or getting into the recovery menu?
pretty interesting, wish there was more info about this open microconsole
Hey guys,
My brother installed a Nexus 7 into his dash and soldered wires onto the power ribbon cable similar to what Bossman137 did. He attached a toggle switch to this but I'd like to replace it with an illuminated momentary switch similar to this. I'm aware the switch will need power to light the LED but I'm unsure how I'd wire this.
It seems that on older headunits soldering job is done very bad and much of mentioned and not mentioned problems are solved by resoldering android board.
Symptoms can be :
- not working backlight,
- not working gps or no satelites found,
- not working wifi,
- device not powering off or tuning screen of when you take key out from ignition, instead staying powered on for few or more minutes,
- switching to reversing camera by itself,
- not powering on,
- and many other....
Device should power off in very little time when you take key out if it is connected properly and by properly I think on supplied connectors and all wires connected, usually there are 3 wires black, yellow and red, black should be ground, yellow positive and red positive but switched on when you start your car and off when you take key out of ignition.
To fix most of the problems in all my cases you simply need to resolder all pins on android board which is soldered on top of main board, here are some photos and one very important video:
On photo you can see what you need to resolder, and yes you need to do it all and need to use leaded soldering wire and bunch of soldering flux.
Video: you should look whole but pay special atention on the part starting from 1:53 that is technique you need to use to do a good resolder job:
And last you should loose top cover of your head unit and replace it with big quiet fan which you can connect on mentioned black and red wire which will power the fan when you start the car and make things work better.
Atached is photo of my 5min job of zip tie mounted and not protected fan, but you should use grill taken from pc power supply or some other whey of preventing wires go into fan and making very nice sound and smell of shreded wires.