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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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
Related
I have the XDA Exec (for 1 day), seems like a good bit of kit, but I haven't been out of the house with it yet, so it will be interesting what living with the beast, in an inside jacket pocket will be like!!
I need to find out if the problem I'm having with the front camera brightness is just my unit or a common problem, I can adjust the brightness for the back 1.3 mega pixel camera jus fine, but the adjusting the brightness for the front camera has absolutely no effect, and all the images are very dark?
Is this normal, or should I be hot footing to my nearest o2 shop for a replacement?
Nope, its normal. I have handled quite alot of 3G phones (as you can see from my sig) and currently have about 10 atm (althought they are all really really bad, but still classics). Nearly all of the 3G phones with second cameras are really dark. The phone makers like nokia, sony ericsson or HTC in this case, dont acually put alot of consideration into the front cameras. As the network only runs video calls at 64kbps (on most 3G networks) then there isnt any need for more than a VGA camera really. They concentrate mostly on the back camera, as this is what people will use most.
Besides, the front camera has to be really small (otherwise it would look stupid sticking out of the front of the phone) so they dont really bother with it. Video calling hasnt really taken off properly yet and for most people, its an extra gimmick that they wont use. But your not alone. Nearly all phones with a internal camera are terible quality, excluding rotating cameras, as they would be the same as the back (as its the same camera).
Hope this answers all of your questions.
Front camera, brightness controls don't work.
Thanks for the reply. Just to clarify, if I select the front camera for a video call, there is a brightness control on the screen. But sliding the control up and down actually makes no effect on the image whatsoever, I guess I would aspect to see some sort of change, no matter how small, but this doesn't appear to work.
If I select the back camera, then there are a range of controls, including contrast and brightness. The brightness control does work here.
Just need to find out if anyone is able to get some sort of brightness improvement on their front camera, i.e mine is faulty, or if this slider has no effect on the xda exec.
Also side point, the front camera on the Nokia n70 3g phone is very good, for any one that is interested.
Hm dont acually have any experience with the N70 as its a fairly new phone, but on my 6680, the front camera is reasonable, but nothing to shout about.
Yes its the same on mine, it does nothing. Maybe it changes on the peoples you are calling screen?
Well, I think there's something wrong with your devices. The brightness setting on the video-calling camera definitely makes a difference to the picture on my JasJar.
It isn't the biggest change in the world, but there's definitely a visible difference in the brightness.
(By the way, I don't have a "slider", just five buttons to tap on to vary the brightness, that's not where the confusion is, is it??)
Front camera brightness
I just changed my handset for another xda exec, as I tested the new unit in the store, on the general camera mode, which does indeed have brightness levels 1-5 as sub69 says, and this does have a small but noticable difference.
However, on getting the phone home and actally trying a video call, which has a different brightness contol on screen (showing 5 values from black to white) on a vertical slding scale... I notice this control makes little or no difference to the picture.. which leaves me back where I started, plus I think my signal is weaker than on the last unit!!!
Oh well, I'll see how I get on
Hhm yes I have also got a slider. I think it might be somthing to do with the Exec, as you are on e jasjar. It will probably be rectified in the next ROM update, whenever that may be!
Hi all.
This has been bugging me for a while.
Does the xperia actually have a accelerometer?
Don't see it mentioned in the white papers or previews.
as far as i know it dont
as you say it's not mentioned and the
prerelease version people have
been reviewing dont seem to
i'd like an accelerometer myself but also the option to turn it off
AFAIK it does.
I'm 95% sure it doesn't. Atleast not the one i've been using.
Didn't the early prototype vids show it having one?
Maybe I'm just thinking of the Diamond...idk
It switches to landscape when you open the keyboard. Otherwise, the pre-release doesn't have an accelerometer.
I used to have a link, but cannot find it anymore, But back when it was announced, there was a video shot with one of SE reps showing off the phone. (i know, there were hundreds!)
At that time he was distinctly talking about the X1 using the front facing cam to pick up and recognise gesture controls. I have since seen a press release(again, lost, sorry, but try ESATO or SENSE) that SE were dealing with a company who specialise in that line of things.
What i do find odd, maybe just my ignorance, is that as similar as HTC Touch Pro, and X1 are internally, how SE did not have the accelerometer installed. Surely it would only add a small amount to the total cost of the phone?
Yeah, even for a consumer to buy a cheap acceleromenter is only like $1, lol
I've got a very technical, but very elemental question on this subject, please forgive me for being such a nerd.
What do I ultimately need an accelerometer for in a phone?
How does this accelerometer function work anyway?
In laptops I can understand it's function to protect the hard drive.
As soon as it detects high accelerations (i.e. "free fall" --> acceleration of 9.81m/s^2 = 1g) it shuts down all moving parts in anticipation of an imminent impact (which because of the sudden stop results in massive accelerations around 1500g and more).
Easy physics, no mystery there...
But in mobile phones an accelerometer is often mentioned in relation to automatically rotating screens and of course apple's famous ball-through-labyrinth-game.
Technically an accelerometer on its own cannot do that. All you get from this device is a statement like
"The velocity of rotation around the phone's z-axis is increasing by 3 rad/square-second."
so in order to know the phone's orientation from that you'd need
1. initial calibration (i.e. tell the phone where "down" and "stop" is every time you turn it on)
2. constant measurement of acceleration on all 6 spacial axes (miss one move and your calibration is off).
As far as I can tell there's no note in the iPhone's Manual saying you may only turn it on when it's sitting on a stationary horizontal surface (so much for initial calibration).
And I can imagine the electronics reading the accelerometer go into a low-power "alarming amplitude only" state too most of the time to preserve battery power. Also you'd have to consider the Earth's rotation and path in that calculation too, since the measurement is rather absolute.
Besides, there are more simple and reliable methods out there to to create an artificial horizon (gravity sensor), so what's the benefit of using an accelerometer in the first place?
So, how do these Phones really know where "down" is to auto-rotate my screen if they use an accelerometer, and why not use something simpler?
The only benefit I see is for car navigation software to use the sensor when the GPS signal vanishes (in tunnels etc.) to extrapolate your course from the last confirmed position and velocity, but as far as I know they don't even use it (yet).
Ok, let's say either:
A) you have a slight factory calibration so it can "guess" which direction.
B) it dynamically calibrates as the phone is held/moved/twisted.
C) It's not near perfect, just a guesstimate of movement.
and
it's just for screen rotation and games
dont believe gps's use it as it's not precise enough
Let me apologize first, because, I know nothing about all that disertation about accelerometers. But let me have my street guy comon sense opinion.
First I don't think these phones have such a sofistcated type of accelerometer. The use of the accelerometer word in mobile phones is a missnomer because I'm sure they have something simpler that I would call it "Balancerometer"
I believe it's just 2 or 3 tubular circles perpendicular to each other. These tiny tubes are filled with some kind of liquid The reading of the position of these liquid is enough to know the position of the device ex: Vertical, horizontal, diagonal at any angle of mesurement. It probably cost no more than $2.00 in mass production.
You know better tha me. Do you think I am crazy or worst?
GSM Arena says
Size 800 x 480 pixels, 3.0 inches
- Full QWERTY keyboard
- Accelerometer sensor for auto-rotate
- Optical joystick navigation
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://www.gsmarena.com/sony_ericsson_xperia_x1-2246.php
But then again ... who knows.
In the diamond app forum, Ikari creatied pocket gforce which from the picture, its not just a simple tilt sensor. Even I wonder why we need the full thing.
But cool though.
x1_wp_r3a.pdf manual
I have the manual above. Not sure where I got it from .... but it doesn't mention accelerometer and it is SEs own May 08 X1 whitepaper.
It detailed many things people suggested the X1 didn't have ... like it does have hardware for 3D accelerated graphics and the supporting drivers ... It also cleared up the actual RAM - 256m rather than the oh ... there is some sort of 400m of something.
Intro was as follows :
XPERIA™ is premium brand in the Sony Ericsson portfolio to meet the consumer need for a converged entertainment and mobile Web communication experience. XPERIA™ delivers a premium experience of energized communication - anytime, anywhere, anything and with anyone.
X1 is the first product on the XPERIA™ lineup and introduces new experiences for mobile productivity with an extraordinary new blend of multimedia, enterprise and Web functionality. The need for multiple devices – such as a mobile phone, an e-mail client, a mobile companion for a PC and more – are all met in one device with easy-to-use functionality. A sturdy metal design to withstand everyday use and a ground breaking XPERIA™ panel combine to give a seamless and premium user experience.
Features include:
•3-inch Wide-VGA (800x480) TFT 65K color LCD
•XPERIA™ panel concept
•Unified Media Experience
•3.2-megapixel camera with Touch auto focus
•Video capture and playback up to 30 fps
•Integrated WiFi and A-GPS
•Mobile broadband
•Handsfree headset with a 3.5 mm audio jack, USB charger, USB cable provided in the kit
•Internet Explorer Mobile browser
•HSDPA 7.2Mbps, HSUPA 2Mbps
•Windows Mobile® 6.1 Professional
•YouTube support (3GPP playback)
•FM radio, streaming audio/video
•Video telephony
•Bluetooth™ 2.0
•HW 3D Graphics
•Supports microSD™ High Capacity memory card
•Exchange /IMAP4/POP3 e-mail
•Quad-band EDGE (850/900/1800/1900 MHz)
•Tri-band HSPA X1a850/1900/2100 MHz) X1i900/1900/2100 MHz) )
The slim arc form factor has a large 3-inch Wide-VGA color screen. Memory capacity is up to 400 MB internally and includes a slot for a microSD™ card. The ergonomically designed QWERTY keypad allows you to quickly write text messages, type phone numbers or search for particular content such as pictures or tracks. The user can quickly toggle between different relevant functions, tailored for all situations in life, and use them as active desktop home screens by using the unique XPERIA™ panel concept.
Panel stuff :
•Sony Ericsson panel – a panel to read news, weather, finance, world clock and shortcuts to communication and applications.
•Media Experience panel – center for viewing and playing multimedia files.
•Slideshow panel – slideshow of recently taken videos and photos.
•Microsoft Today panel – this panel is the actual Microsoft today screen.
•3D Fish panel – a panel that showcases the 3D features of the phone; a fish tank with 3D fishes.
•FM radio panel - a panel to access your FM radio straight.
•Google panel - provides access to all GOogle services.
•Customized panels can be offered.
and for me ... to avoid having a N95 as well as an HTC ...
3.2-megapixel camera and video call camera
There are two cameras. The main camera is 3.2 megapixel and includes Touch auto focus. A picture can be shared with friends or family, as a picture message or e-mail, or using any available transfer method, such as Bluetooth™. There is also a QCIF camera, for video calls, located on the front.
Photo light
When lighting conditions are poor, pictures can be enhanced by turning on the Photo light.
Video capture
The camera also records video and which are stored in the phone or on a memory card. A video clip can be shared with friends or family as a picture message or e-mail, or using any available transfer method, such as Bluetooth™. The phone supports VGA size video recording at up to 30 frames per second.
•MPEG-4: 30fps at VGA*
•H.263: 30fps at VGA*
•H.264: 15fps at VGA*
Can forward on to people if they want it ....
I do struggle that so many people are worried about WVGA. The G900 ran all the s/w I have without issues including Softmaker Office, CPL6, PI, FM, Pie+ etc ... WVGA is real extra screen estate rather than just VGA prettiness.
I know only time will tell, but this has to be leagues ahead of the Pro.
It is only the price that scares me ... and the fact that there are still performance issues with video at 30fps .... which as you can see from the above is a biggie for me.
The only daft thing missing I can see is the TV-Out ...
downloadtest82 said:
How does this accelerometer function work anyway?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
These accelerometers actually measure the Earth's gravity also. It constantly measures the 1g with which the Earth is pulling the phone. A 3-axis accelerometer gives you the projection of the gravity vector on each axis (x, y, z). Assuming that the phone is only rotating (and not translating), it is easy to find to where the phone is facing... for example, if the x and y acceleration is ~0 and z is ~1, then the phone is facing up, like leaving it on a table top. If x=1, y=0, z=0 => phone in landscape. If x=0, y=1, z=0 => phone in portait mode.
When the phone is being translated (moving, that is) in a non-constant manner, a "dynamic" acceleration vector is added to the 1g Earth's vector. In that case, calculating the phone's position/rotation becomes more tricky and more erroneous...
downloadtest82 said:
i.e. "free fall" --> acceleration of 9.81m/s^2 = 1g
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, in free-fall, the acceleration is reported as zero.
Even ipod nanos come with accelerometers now. Don't sit well with me if the xperia doesn't.
Well, even the C905 and G705 have accelerometers, so why couldn't SE put one into their flagship
Pinguino1 said:
...the accelerometer word in mobile phones is a missnomer because I'm sure they have something simpler that I would call it "Balancerometer"
I believe it's just 2 or 3 tubular circles perpendicular to each other. These tiny tubes are filled with some kind of liquid The reading of the position of these liquid is enough to know the position of the device ex: Vertical, horizontal, diagonal at any angle of mesurement...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Years ago I used to think alot of debives measured that way, at one time it may have been like that but not now.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piezoelectric_accelerometer
I have an RC Helicopter and a strong interest in electronics...so yeah, I just happen to know random stuff like this, lol.
They manufacture these in bulk as chips often...some even having 3+ (rotation) axi on the same chip.
Even at retail you can get the raw high-end chips for a couple bucks...imagine how much they cost in bulk.
hypest said:
Actually, in free-fall, the acceleration is reported as zero.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i suggest you to retake physics...
currently the accelerometer is just for user interface for phones, not too many uses
i couldnt find a thread that explains exactly what it was... is it hardware or software...
hardware. I think its a type of accelerometer.
my wife is also interested in this.
so my phone wouldnt have it then.. doesnt the camera have some kinda sensor like it in it?
your wife needs to get a diamond or touch pro...
andason said:
my wife is also interested in this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
gotvitamink said:
hardware. I think its a type of accelerometer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As far as I know it IS an accelerometer. Same thing I would say. Don't have much knowledge, but it's basically the same technology the iPhone uses. It can detect how you're holding your phone. Yes, you could use your front camera on your phone as a accelerometer and it's been asked before, but no one attempted to do so since it would consume too much battery.
Kraize92 said:
As far as I know it IS an accelerometer. Same thing I would say. Don't have much knowledge, but it's basically the same technology the iPhone uses. It can detect how you're holding your phone. Yes, you could use your front camera on your phone as a accelerometer and it's been asked before, but no one attempted to do so since it would consume too much battery.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yea i wasn't really sure if it differed from an accelerometer. I used google and wikipedia and i couldn't find anything on G-sensor, and I didn't find G-sensor under the accelerometer wikipedia entry.
but yea, basically the technology that iPhone uses.
someone should do it...
its an accelerometer which is hardware to do what the iphone does where when u turn it to its side its screen also changes to the sideways orientation.
It detects which way the phone is facing and can detect acceleration in 3 axis.
petard said:
It detects which way the phone is facing and can detect acceleration in 3 axis.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah, there is the more technical answer. It can detect movement. Basically you use the 3 axis which detects movement in all directions. You tilt left and right and you tilt up and down. I knew that just didn't know the technical meaning lol.
In most cases the G-Sensor is simply a small metal ball laying in a tub with several contacts. When you turn or move your phone, the ball moves also, connecting some of these contacts to anothers. So the phone can figure out how you hold it (portrait or landscape, upside down etc.) and can switch the screen or perform different actions. Its called G-Sensor because the ball is driven by G-Force.
What is G-Sensor ?
A G sensor is usually an accelerometer. It measures the forces that act on it during changes in velocity. The wiki article below has more details.
Source(s):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accelerometer
Dennis78 said:
In most cases the G-Sensor is simply a small metal ball laying in a tub with several contacts. When you turn or move your phone, the ball moves also, connecting some of these contacts to anothers. So the phone can figure out how you hold it (portrait or landscape, upside down etc.) and can switch the screen or perform different actions. Its called G-Sensor because the ball is driven by G-Force.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
False. It's a three (and probably sometimes two) axis MEMS accelerometer - there are a few companies making those, but probably the most popular ones are analog devices' ADXL series. Similar device sits in wiimote (just as a secondary motion detection system, the more accurate one is camera+sensor bar).
Because these chips became really cheap recently, and are way more accurate, reliable, and robust than any mechanical sensors (in the same price ans size range), they're being shoved in every possible device You can find them in digital cameras (used to recognize if the photo is portrait or landscape and tag it accordingly), in hard drives (to detect mechanical shocks and protect the hdd by parking its head), in laptops (usually same as above plus to detect when the computer is falling down or other dangerous situations and protect the hard drives), in cell phones (you probably know this one's uses), in toys, portable media players, and lots of other stuff.
It detects which way the phone is facing and can detect acceleration in 3 axis.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A more precise answer is that it detects acceleration in three axes, and from these values phone's orientation can be calculated.
[MORE DETAILED EXPLANATION]
It's rather simple - when the phone is normally handled (it's not free falling and it's not being waved around), the dominant acceleration detected by the accelerometer is the gravitational acceleration (-9.81m/s^2 in vertical axis). So, if most of the time acceleration detected along the vertical axis of the phone is bigger than one detected along horizontal axis, the phone is being held in landscape position. If the situation is reversed, it's held in portrait orientation. If the acceleration is largest in the third axis (tangent to the screen), it means that the phone is being held nearly horizontally or it's lying on some surface - better not change screen orientation then
But as i said - it's only true when the dominant acceleration is the gravitational one - the sensor can't tell it from other sources of acceleration like waving the phone around. If you run one of the g-sensor games or demos and try quickly moving the phone around the desk (keeping it horizontal at all times), you'll see that the game will interpret this movement as tilting the phone.
[/MORE DETAILED EXPLANATION]
And by the way, why is this thread in development and hacking?
mr_deimos said:
False. It's a three (and probably sometimes two) axis MEMS accelerometer - there are a few companies making those, but probably the most popular ones are analog devices' ADXL series. Similar device sits in wiimote (just as a secondary motion detection system, the more accurate one is camera+sensor bar).
Because these chips became really cheap recently, and are way more accurate, reliable, and robust than any mechanical sensors (in the same price ans size range), they're being shoved in every possible device You can find them in digital cameras (used to recognize if the photo is portrait or landscape and tag it accordingly), in hard drives (to detect mechanical shocks and protect the hdd by parking its head), in laptops (usually same as above plus to detect when the computer is falling down or other dangerous situations and protect the hard drives), in cell phones (you probably know this one's uses), in toys, portable media players, and lots of other stuff.
A more precise answer is that it detects acceleration in three axes, and from these values phone's orientation can be calculated.
[MORE DETAILED EXPLANATION]
It's rather simple - when the phone is normally handled (it's not free falling and it's not being waved around), the dominant acceleration detected by the accelerometer is the gravitational acceleration (-9.81m/s^2 in vertical axis). So, if most of the time acceleration detected along the vertical axis of the phone is bigger than one detected along horizontal axis, the phone is being held in landscape position. If the situation is reversed, it's held in portrait orientation. If the acceleration is largest in the third axis (tangent to the screen), it means that the phone is being held nearly horizontally or it's lying on some surface - better not change screen orientation then
But as i said - it's only true when the dominant acceleration is the gravitational one - the sensor can't tell it from other sources of acceleration like waving the phone around. If you run one of the g-sensor games or demos and try quickly moving the phone around the desk (keeping it horizontal at all times), you'll see that the game will interpret this movement as tilting the phone.
[/MORE DETAILED EXPLANATION]
And by the way, why is this thread in development and hacking?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How do you know this surplus of information? Was it from an engineering school / article / books / or phone dissection? How do you know this?
None of these answers made much sense, so I did a google search, found the following:
http://www.dimensionengineering.com/accelerometers.htm
poetryrocksalot said:
How do you know this surplus of information? Was it from an engineering school / article / books / or phone dissection? How do you know this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The theory of operation is actually pre-high school level stuff - basic physics (you know, Newton's laws, and theory of gravity)
And the details - caught some of these at the engineering university, some from accelerometer datasheets. I had to interface one of them to a programmable microcontroller a while ago so i needed to do some research on my own
I just got a TP2 and is a bit confused as to the working of the G-Sensor. I have calibrate it (and it is switched on), but nothing happens when I turn the phone sideways - ie turning to landscape mode. Am I missing something or need to activate it somewhere else?
Thanks
stoutseun said:
I just got a TP2 and is a bit confused as to the working of the G-Sensor. I have calibrate it (and it is switched on), but nothing happens when I turn the phone sideways - ie turning to landscape mode. Am I missing something or need to activate it somewhere else?
Thanks
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Hello, try to search on your programs, you will have "G-Config", it allows you to define which applications rotate.
Thanks very much. I searched but couldn't find any G-Config anyware in All programs. Only reference is the G-Sensor in All settings\System.
EDIT: Google reveiled G-Config to be a self written app. (just downloaded) So it's not a HTC app included in the ROM?
Hi,
Is their a way that the call answer|home|Back|Call End keys can be highlighted in the dark with say a white light?
That would be so cool when using the phone in the dark!
I guess it really depends if there's some kind of light behind the buttons?
samir_d said:
Hi,
I guess it really depends if there's some kind of light behind the buttons?
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exactly!!..and there isn't
This is one of the couple of things that really does my nut in about the HD.
i wish it did. it would have been a SEXY touch to the HD
matthew1471 said:
This is one of the couple of things that really does my nut in about the HD.
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Yes it is so stupid that I think a ten year old child designed it. They are impossible to see in the dark and often I press the wrong one and are almost throwing the phone in the floor in anger
I suspose a skillful "Mod-er" could silkscreen some glow-in-the-dark paint on an adhesive layer (perhaps as simple as scotch tape) and adfix it to the front. Who knows might even be a market for this. I'd pay $4.95 US for it.
abeery said:
I'd pay $4.95 US for it.
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"But not $5.00. $5.00 is too much"
A lot better without any additional lights, imho.
I like reading ebooks in the dark with the phone, and experices with other phones have shown that leds etc are annoying.
solution number one would be a sw controlled led system that could let you decide on/off, intensity, color, animation motive, strobosystem connected to audio output, blinking and blinking speed, for each key independently...
maybe i just exaggerated but what the hell since it's all impossible as the leds aint there i don't see why i shouldnt
crashDebug said:
solution number one would be a sw controlled led system that could let you decide on/off, intensity, color, animation motive, strobosystem connected to audio output, blinking and blinking speed, for each key independently...
maybe i just exaggerated but what the hell since it's all impossible as the leds aint there i don't see why i shouldnt
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You could probably use available GPIO lines (if any are not used) to control the leds, but modding mobile devices without some kind of blueprints is next to impossible It's unlikely there's enough space inside the HD to house the leds and wiring required for such mod.
just hold your hand below your HD so the light of the screen reflects onto the buttons, simple enough imho
The buttons are overrated. I hardly ever use them. The only one I use is the very left buttin for Voice Command.
And I am able to find the button in complete darkness!!!!
I wish they would be gone in favor of a bigger screen.
HTC wanted to illuminate the hard buttons, but couldn't. The strategy behind the touch hd was to create the first device ever that will totally disallow its user to obtain any useful information whether a call has been missed while he was away from the phone. Moreover, part of the strategy was to *make sure* no matter how much the community will try to correct this situation, that they will stand no chance.
For this, HTC went with a tiny, faint, green led missed-call indicator at the side of the on/off button, and to make sure nobody will be able to program a solution, they had to let go the illuminated hard buttons (since otherwise the community could have programed it to behave like the Diamond, and so it would have been possible to know if you missed a call). It was a compromise for HTC, but the manager of the touch hd product recently was quoted saying that they feel satisfied with this compromise, because they feel that sacrificing hard button illumination was well worth it if the prize is to create the very first device that can be 100% inefficient at showing the missed calls you had while being away from the phone (and no less important: is 100% bulletproof against any attempt of the community to disable this cutting-edge feature).
Noam23 said:
(...)
can be %100 inefficient at showing missed calls without the screen being active.
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99% only!! you forget the LED on the powerbutton?
crashDebug said:
99% only!! you forget the LED on the powerbutton?
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Actually it's 99.99999999999999999999999% inefficient, but in this situation (where you'll have to miss several billion calls in order to notice one) I thought it was safe to round it up to 100%.
Surely the simple way forward here would be through the use of quantum technology.
We know that there are no lights behind the buttons, but that doesn't prevent the butons being illuminated, because in another parallel universe some HTC designer might have accidently designed a useful and practical version of the HD (of course, this is where my idea falls down, as it's impossible for any HTC designer to be so forward-thinking).
Anyway, as I'm sure we all know, you don't actually need an object to exist to have an effect in quantum physics - it only needs to exist in theory to effect the time/space continuum.
So if we could co-ordinate a mass simultaneous experiment, where we all throw our HDs up into the air, and let them all hit the ground at EXACTLY the same time, we should find that we will have easily removed the problem of non-illuminating buttons for all those partaking of this exercise.
A small side effect of this is that we will also remove the issue of poor video playback, poor call handling, crap Today screen ..........
"Anyway, as I'm sure we all know, you don't actually need an object to exist to have an effect in quantum physics - it only needs to exist in theory to effect the time/space continuum."
Boy this is scary, if your theory is right, we could all be subjects of an quantum physics experiment. What if the HD in fact doesn't exist att all!? have you concidered that? If your theory is right, it could just be a flicker in the time/space continuum. :O what the hell, as long as it's persistant I don't care.
To the more real issues. Honestly, do you guys really don't know where the answer, home, back and hangup-buttons are located?? I had not even thought of the fact that they aren't backlit. Most time I don't use them at all, but I'm pretty sure most user here in fact can point them out in pitch dark if they had to. But I must admit the lack of light underneath them is a little bit odd from a design point of view though.
For the missed call isue, isn't there a way to make the screen backlight flash with very short quite frequent flashes to indicate missed calls? For those who check the phone for missed calls every other minute this could be a good med against hart attack (or atleast blue fingertip from pressing the power-button a million times).
nikki-m said:
A small side effect of this is that we will also remove the issue of poor video playback, poor call handling, crap Today screen ..........
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I really like those side effects, only problem is that we'll also lose warranty, so if in the distant future something bad will happen to our beloved touch hd, we will not have coverage...
To the more real issues. Honestly, do you guys really don't know where the answer, home, back and hangup-buttons are located?? I had not even thought of the fact that they aren't backlit. Most time I don't use them at all, but I'm pretty sure most user here in fact can point them out in pitch dark if they had to.
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Impossible !!!, you make it sound as easy as typing on a computer keyboard without looking at the keys... why do you lie to us my dear friend when we all know remembering the location of the 4 keys in the touch hd is orders of magnitude harder ?
Noam23 said:
Impossible !!!, you make it sound as easy as typing on a computer keyboard without looking at the keys... why do you lie to us my dear friend when we all know remembering the location of the 4 keys in the touch hd is orders of magnitude harder ?
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Well... you have a point... but in the other hand your statement is pretty contradictory in itself. My computer (a macbook, I'll probably get my ass kicked for saying that) has no backlit keyboard and has something like 80 keys so it sounds pretty weard that it would be easer to learn the location of all of them. or have you written a program that alters the location of the 4 HD-keys so you honestly can say that it's impossible to learn?
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
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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