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You guys see this yet, here it is in action?
It's on sale for $149.99 at Kmart this week, although Kmart seems to have poorly planned the launch and its in VERY short supply across the US.
Gentouch78 Tablet
• 800x480 color TFT touch panel screen
• CPU: 800 Mhz
• Ram: DDR2 256mb
• Internal Memory: 2GB
• Expansion Slots: SD/MMC card slot up to 16GB
• Wi-Fi Connectivity with Full Web Browsing Capability
• Supports Ebook Formats: Text, PDF, E-PUB, HTML
• Supports Media Formats: MP3, WMA, FLAC, AAC
• Supports most popular E-Book formats
• Picture Viewer in JPEG, BMP
• Video Player
• Rechargeable Lithium Battery
• Carrying case included
Accessories Included
• Leather Carrying Case
• USB Cable (for data transfers only)
• UL Certified AC Adapter
Seems like a decent price, even though the device could use a better screen, bluetooth, and hdmi out. I grabbed a rain check while I think about a possible new toy...
Saw this on Engadget yesterday. The thing doesn't do portrait mode, doesn't have an accelerometer, and almost all signs point to the touch screen being resistive rather than capacitive. Still, for $150 I could slap some velcro on the back and on my cabinets and use it to follow recipes when cooking.
benutne said:
Saw this on Engadget yesterday. The thing doesn't do portrait mode, doesn't have an accelerometer, and almost all signs point to the touch screen being resistive rather than capacitive. Still, for $150 I could slap some velcro on the back and on my cabinets and use it to follow recipes when cooking.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
maybe it does do portrait...chatting with tech support now. but check this out.
xport said:
maybe it does do portrait...chatting with tech support now. but check this out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Huh. I spoke with tech support yesterday and they said it didn't support portrait. But we were also talking about the lack of an accelerometer so they might have just meant it didn't automatically flip.
Well I talked to them again today, and I dont get the warm and fuzzy feeling about the answers, but here is what "Ari" had to say:
Ari: unit has options for a prtrait and mode
Ari: headphone jack should be 3.5mm
Ari: unit has a camera
Ari: it has a usb slot for file transfers
Ari: 800mgz for prcessors
Ari: it should be able to charge with the usb also
Ari: it should have a calibrate command also
Ari: and program similar for the android market
Ari: it is using an android 2.1 program
Ari: i apologize this is just a new device and not all program alternatives and specifications has not fully been established
Ari: it is supposed to be out end of the week
Ari: and by august
Ari: i'm basing that from the manual sent to me
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i kinda wouldn't mid having one.. looks pretty cool
xport said:
Well I talked to them again today, and I dont get the warm and fuzzy feeling about the answers, but here is what "Ari" had to say:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Seems like it will support a market, just not the market.
there are some issues. i got one today. over all decent device. they are releasing a patch to finx some of the issues.
http://augenus.com/indexhome.html/News.html
pen25 said:
there are some issues. i got one today. over all decent device. they are releasing a patch to finx some of the issues.
http://augenus.com/indexhome.html/News.html
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Click to collapse
Wow. If they follow through then that is some excellent customer service. What do you think of the device so far? We're dying to know man.
benutne said:
Seems like it will support a market, just not the market.
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Click to collapse
isnt one of googles rules that the thing has to be a phone in order to have the real market?
also wouldnt it be possible to adb push our vending.apk to it?
thoughtlesskyle said:
isnt one of googles rules that the thing has to be a phone in order to have the real market?
also wouldnt it be possible to adb push our vending.apk to it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think they recently relaxed the restrictions on Market access so now tablets can use it. I have no source for that assertion however.
Wow, how do you forget what size headphone plug YOU installed into it?....
Naemion said:
Wow, how do you forget what size headphone plug YOU installed into it?....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They're just reselling the hardware I'm guessing. No way a Florida company could make this cheaper than China can.
over all i like the device. im used to a resistive screen so thats not a problem. doesnt appear to have the auto rotate screen but waiting to hear back from them to find out what the deal is. the manual talks about auto rotating the screen so it should have it. lack of bluetooth is another draw back but i really dont need it. they also have a 2.5mm headphone jack on them instead of a 3.5 like normal but they are addressing that with an adapter i do believe.
power consumption wasnt too bad. i was using the device for 5 hours yesterday and only used a 1/4 reserve from what it said. so i was only down to around 72% charge after playing with it for 5 hours. was reasonably bright enough in a brightly lit room. the angle one can see is pretty good as well.
the microsd card slot isnt in line properly. so if you insert a card you will want to put a price of tape on the end of it so when you release it you can pull it out. i played hell getting the thing to pull out and it was dragging the top of the card so had to use a pair of tweezers to pull it out.
cant access the market yet so havent tried the nook or kindle apps but that will be my next thing. looking at pictures was good. just as good as my digi pic frame.
over all for what i bought it for i do believe it will work a treat. i was going to buy a chumby either the bb or the sony branded chumby and this will work so much better then either of those two devices.
mistakes happen. how do people forget to take thier vitamins in the morning? how do people forget there coffee mug on the roof of thier car?
pen25 said:
over all i like the device. im used to a resistive screen so thats not a problem. doesnt appear to have the auto rotate screen but waiting to hear back from them to find out what the deal is. the manual talks about auto rotating the screen so it should have it. lack of bluetooth is another draw back but i really dont need it. they also have a 2.5mm headphone jack on them instead of a 3.5 like normal but they are addressing that with an adapter i do believe.
power consumption wasnt too bad. i was using the device for 5 hours yesterday and only used a 1/4 reserve from what it said. so i was only down to around 72% charge after playing with it for 5 hours. was reasonably bright enough in a brightly lit room. the angle one can see is pretty good as well.
the microsd card slot isnt in line properly. so if you insert a card you will want to put a price of tape on the end of it so when you release it you can pull it out. i played hell getting the thing to pull out and it was dragging the top of the card so had to use a pair of tweezers to pull it out.
cant access the market yet so havent tried the nook or kindle apps but that will be my next thing. looking at pictures was good. just as good as my digi pic frame.
over all for what i bought it for i do believe it will work a treat. i was going to buy a chumby either the bb or the sony branded chumby and this will work so much better then either of those two devices.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, that's good to hear. Really all I'd ever want one for is reading in bed, surfing the web while on the couch and most importantly, following recipes online without having to print them. Velcro that thing to the cabinet and we're golden.
Can you post some pics of the device from different angles? I'm curious how thick it is and where the ports are.
Seems my local store has a few in stock here, so I'm swinging by on my way home to grab one. Ill report back what I can about the device later tonight or tomorrow morning. Supposed firmware update released tomorrow.
Wow, just noticed this...MSNBC noticed it.
benutne said:
Well, that's good to hear. Really all I'd ever want one for is reading in bed, surfing the web while on the couch and most importantly, following recipes online without having to print them. Velcro that thing to the cabinet and we're golden.
Can you post some pics of the device from different angles? I'm curious how thick it is and where the ports are.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfha5r6law0
xport said:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfha5r6law0
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not quite as thin as the iPad I guess, now is it? Looks kinda chunky actually.
benutne said:
Not quite as thin as the iPad I guess, now is it? Looks kinda chunky actually.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Another: YouTube
How come we haven't seen a wave of aftermarket double DIN android based radio replacements yet? Android seems like the obvious platform for a new head unit. Foxconn should be able to hack the Moto Xoom's guts in to something within a week. Its even called the Xoom! Come on Mazda. All it needs is some custom sound processing and maybe an external GPS hook up and your car would be a million times more awesome. Forget an extra $2k for Sync or OnStar, you could buy a $5 app to steer your car with your phone!
Sorry that got a little rant-y there but does anyone know of any manufacturers working on this?
TunaCanyon said:
How come we haven't seen a wave of aftermarket double DIN android based radio replacements yet? Android seems like the obvious platform for a new head unit. Foxconn should be able to hack the Moto Xoom's guts in to something within a week. Its even called the Xoom! Come on Mazda. All it needs is some custom sound processing and maybe an external GPS hook up and your car would be a million times more awesome. Forget an extra $2k for Sync or OnStar, you could buy a $5 app to steer your car with your phone!
Sorry that got a little rant-y there but does anyone know of any manufacturers working on this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You sir, have just earned your first thanks for posting this. We seldom see noobs posting something useful as a first topic, and here is proof that you are not all bad.
Back on topic:
I've been thinking about the same thing, maybe we can just hack it in like a car XBMC? Any car nut think that this will be possible?
Ya this would be awesome. I seriously wish everything I use ran android, including my toaster
Swyped via my cyanogenized and gingerbreaded EVO
twiz0r said:
Ya this would be awesome. I seriously wish everything I use ran android, including my toaster
Swyped via my cyanogenized and gingerbreaded EVO
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
One day, I'm gonna retire and build an entire networked house. The moment I stop snoozing my alarm, the toaster will start, the coffee machine will start, and everything else will start.
Then I'd bang my wife and drink sucky coffee, but it'll be worth it.
This could in theroy be VERY possible. Id work on it for my truck but i dont have near enoughbfunds, time, or equipment.
Sent from my ADR6300 with the power of BUNGHOLIO!!!!!!!
Hmm... maybe with a discarded tab, a bluetooth controller/keyboard, and plugged into your car battery?
I'm liking these ideas. Integration is good and we could have Android in almost anything, controlled by our phones. Keep the ideas coming
DirkGently1 said:
I'm liking these ideas. Integration is good and we could have Android in almost anything, controlled by our phones. Keep the ideas coming
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Erm... I would think that only certain non-safety-critical stuff be controlled via Android. Like the entertainment system. I don't want my Android to FC the braking application, nor would I like the Accelerator app to have a memory overflow.
sakai4eva said:
Hmm... maybe with a discarded tab, a bluetooth controller/keyboard, and plugged into your car battery?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With some kind of regulator/switch to keep from raping the battery when you turn the car off
Sent from my ADR6300 with the power of BUNGHOLIO!!!!!!!
in most countries it is illegal to even watch a dvd or TOUCH your GPS now...
android in the back seat maybe... but then just get a tablet and bluetooth the sound....
I have been wondering the same thing and had searched Google extensively a few weeks ago. There is one really simple single-DIN with a tiny teeny screen that runs Android, but I want a double-DIN with 7" LCD and built-in navigation.
Perhaps the problem is the open-source nature of Android? Big companies like Pioneer, JVC, Sony, Kenwood, etc. very much want to keep their products as closed as possible. I know Pioneer is kind of like Apple, they use custom chips for everything. I have an AVIC-Z3 navigation HU, and I think the only way anyone knew it uses a Hitachi SH4 processor is by disassembling the code. All the chips are Pioneer branded with Pioneer part numbers on them.
Of course, that begs the question of why no Chinese company has come up with an Android HU. After all, it's free and far cheaper for them to use than having to write a crappy proprietary OS or using Windows CE as many do.
It's too bad there aren't any hackers in the car navigation scene. If people can figure out how to boot Android on WinMo devices, I'm pretty sure the same skill set would work on car navigation as most run Windows Automotive (WinCE).
Oh, and there do exist a few double-DIN Car PCs that normally run XP. I don't know where to actually buy one, but something like that could easily run Android. The fact that they will use an x86 processor is no biggie considering Android apps all run in the Dalvik VM.
Thanks for the thanks...I think?
Anyway I'm working on this project for my BMW. BMW's from the mid 90's to the mid 00's have a serial bus that controls all entertainment functions (volume control, mode, HVAC). It's been throughly hacked with most of the codes available around the internet. I'm designing a hardware interface based on the sparkfun IOIO (which isn't actually in production yet) to talk to the bus with samsung tab. It should replicate all stock functionality plus all of what can be done with android. And the tab fits in the stock location! Of course, it'll only work with the previous generation of BMWs so there is still room for an all purpose solution...
As for stock stereos, Chevrolet is supposed to partner with google to put android in the new Volt. Maybe that will spurr a wave of awsomeness.
Just spotted these when sourcing for an double din player.
Here you go people:
http :// cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/GPS-CAR-TRUCK-ANDROID-INTERNET-REMOVABLE-Tablet-RADIO-/280686274902?pt=Car_Audio_Video&hash=item415a34a956
TunaCanyon said:
How come we haven't seen a wave of aftermarket double DIN android based radio replacements yet? Android seems like the obvious platform for a new head unit. Foxconn should be able to hack the Moto Xoom's guts in to something within a week. Its even called the Xoom! Come on Mazda. All it needs is some custom sound processing and maybe an external GPS hook up and your car would be a million times more awesome. Forget an extra $2k for Sync or OnStar, you could buy a $5 app to steer your car with your phone!
Sorry that got a little rant-y there but does anyone know of any manufacturers working on this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well seems like someone has come up with something. If you have a BMW/Audi/Merc you can get a Dynavin replacement head unit that runs android
http://www.dynavin.com/index.php
I'm not sure how customizeable it is but its out there.
TunaCanyon said:
Well seems like someone has come up with something. If you have a BMW/Audi/Merc you can get a Dynavin replacement head unit that runs android
http://www.dynavin.com/index.php
I'm not sure how customizeable it is but its out there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow, nice find! Would be nice to have this in an old Fiat Panda!!!
TRusselo said:
in most countries it is illegal to even watch a dvd or TOUCH your GPS now...
android in the back seat maybe... but then just get a tablet and bluetooth the sound....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's legal in the great free America
boborone said:
It's legal in the great free America
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Click to collapse
Although texting is (and should be) illegal.
I used to work with a girl and she used to drive me home at night and she had one of the first gps units... it looked like a little tv and sat on the dashboard. A cop stopped us and yelled at her for "watching tv" while driving....
TunaCanyon said:
Well seems like someone has come up with something. If you have a BMW/Audi/Merc you can get a Dynavin replacement head unit that runs android
http://www.dynavin.com/index.php
I'm not sure how customizeable it is but its out there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
damm, i want one of these. awesome find!
Been looking for something like this myself for the past 2 months. I've found a similar product (pretty much the same dynavin unit, only this one is for sale ) and it's mounted on a Rover 75 which kinda' gives me a bit of hope that it's not BMW/Merc/Audi only (I own a 2004 Passat). It's a bit too expensive for me atm but maybe someone else is interested (and has the funds to actually get it). You can also add a rear view camera and it integrates nicely with the steering wheel controls (at least that's what they say).
http :// autogpsdvds.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=59&product_id=135
I am very tempted to buy it but this would be my first head unit and I really want it to be an Android one (I've been really pleased with my Android phone so far). Any advice would be really appreciated. Also, how much does it usually cost to have it installed?
According to androidtablets.net not only does the the nook color have a bluetooth chip but also a fm radio chip but with stock os you cant use it of course. Does this mean that with cm7 you can also access the fm radio ability like it allows you with bluetooth? If anyone knows please post below.
No, the FM chipset is not connected to any sort of antenna therefore it does not work, regardless of if your running stock or CM.
Midnitte said:
No, the FM chipset is not connected to any sort of antenna therefore it does not work, regardless of if your running stock or CM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok but could it be possible to add an wire antenna? Or could you add one like that of an android phone as someone did with an htcs speaker and added it to the nook or is it impossible?
Some phones use headphones as the antenna. I wondered this about the nook, but never cared to find out.
Good Question
colorfulnookie said:
Ok but could it be possible to add an wire antenna? Or could you add one like that of an android phone as someone did with an htcs speaker and added it to the nook or is it impossible?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have wondered about this myself. I bought and learned how to root my Droid 4 for the sole purpose of having the FM radio. I am working on getting my Nook Color to run CM7, and found your post when I searched. I know on my D4 I needed to have it rooted and installed Spirit FM, it works well with the headphones attached. I also found a way to make an antenna using a Radio Shack plug and the antenna off an old cordless phone handset, It works surprisingly well! I don't see why it wouldn't work for the NC, IF it has the fm chip, and IF we can access it. I don't know if Spirit FM has been tested with it or not, but it's worth looking into.
KrellaKrentoshi said:
I have wondered about this myself. I bought and learned how to root my Droid 4 for the sole purpose of having the FM radio. I am working on getting my Nook Color to run CM7, and found your post when I searched. I know on my D4 I needed to have it rooted and installed Spirit FM, it works well with the headphones attached. I also found a way to make an antenna using a Radio Shack plug and the antenna off an old cordless phone handset, It works surprisingly well! I don't see why it wouldn't work for the NC, IF it has the fm chip, and IF we can access it. I don't know if Spirit FM has been tested with it or not, but it's worth looking into.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This has been addressed many times, in this forum and others. To my knowledge no one has gotten anything other than static from any app (Spirit included) with any headphones at any time. I'd guess that there is no connection between the radio chip and the headphone socket, for antenna functionality.
I haven't pursued this in a while though, so there could be newer info out there.
Hmmm
tonestertm said:
This has been addressed many times, in this forum and others. To my knowledge no one has gotten anything other than static from any app (Spirit included) with any headphones at any time. I'd guess that there is no connection between the radio chip and the headphone socket, for antenna functionality.
I haven't pursued this in a while though, so there could be newer info out there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good to know. I will do a little searching in the morning and post any info I may find. Do you know if any guts tinkering has occured to make that connection? I am hoping for a simple, easy solution, like modifying an atrix lapdock to work for a Droid phone
KrellaKrentoshi said:
Good to know. I will do a little searching in the morning and post any info I may find. Do you know if any guts tinkering has occured to make that connection? I am hoping for a simple, easy solution, like modifying an atrix lapdock to work for a Droid phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Been doing some digging since I last posted, and the news, I'm afraid, is not promising.
I learned that the FM receive and transmit (!) antenna functions of the WL1271 chip are on different pins than the WLAN/Bluetooth antenna pins.
In addition, there are dedicated FM Audio Out L/R pins which I would suspect are not provided for on the Nook board/module. It's not clear to me if these are the only outlet for any FM decoded by the chip, though.
These, along with the fact that TI pretty much abandoned the FM feature of this chip in the OMAP implementation, (by their own admission) make the FM radio function for us... challenging.
tonestertm said:
Been doing some digging since I last posted, and the news, I'm afraid, is not promising.
I learned that the FM receive and transmit (!) antenna functions of the WL1271 chip are on different pins than the WLAN/Bluetooth antenna pins.
In addition, there are dedicated FM Audio Out L/R pins which I would suspect are not provided for on the Nook board/module. It's not clear to me if these are the only outlet for any FM decoded by the chip, though.
These, along with the fact that TI pretty much abandoned the FM feature of this chip in the OMAP implementation, (by their own admission) make the FM radio function for us... challenging.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Challenging isn't the same as impossible, and it must surely be easier than trying to get CM7 installed to SD card for my NC. I'm beyond stuck on that one, been trying off an on for a year. It seems to me that if the problem lies in the hardware, we should be able to correct that. BTW, did I see correctly, there may be FM TRANSMIT capabilities?! That would rock!! I would be blissfully happy just getting FM recieve to work. If the pins aren't provided for on the NC board, what would be a possible way to correct that?
KrellaKrentoshi said:
Challenging isn't the same as impossible,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
True.
and it must surely be easier than trying to get CM7 installed to SD card for my NC.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had difficulty with that the first time, too. I can probably help, but either in PM or another thread; been running SD cards for about as long as you've been trying.
It seems to me that if the problem lies in the hardware, we should be able to correct that. BTW, did I see correctly, there may be FM TRANSMIT capabilities?! ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately, even though there are some great resources around (see the Novaports sticky above, for one) there's just not enough solid info yet to discover whether there's access to the necessary pin. The whole chip is about 1/4 inch square, containing about 115 contact sites in what's called a ball grid array, or BGA, all on the bottom surface of that tiny, "wahfer-thin" speck. This is married to a daughtercard which brings the necessary contacts out to the real world and has some more circuitry (most notably the chip which handles the wireless/bluetooth antenna switching). There's no way to tell from the pictures I've found whether they designed any access to the FM receive pin for the outside world. And I'd bet good solid money that there's no access to the FM transmit pins (separate Antenna and Audio L/R).
So, not impossible, but the real question is, how much would you be willing to spend to re-engineer a new daughtercard to gain access to these things (if, in fact, they're not accessible)? It would undoubtedly be more than the price of a brand new tablet which already contains all these things and more.
If they did bring the RX pin out on the daughtercard, then it should be possible to do some microsoldering and a lot of what I've just said is moot. But without disassembling one I have no way of knowing. If this were the case, then Spirit would likely be the way to go, as I ran across indications that Mike was doing some serious digging into this issue last year. There's also an infinitesimal ray of hope for drivers from a ROM that somebody put together for one of the Droids, which uses the same chip, that apparently has FM working.
I suppose one moderately simple test would be to load up Spirit, and bring a moderately powerful FM transmitter right up to the base end of the Nook, hoping for some leakage through all the shielding, and see if a signal can be picked up. Unfortunately, unless the result were positive, we'd be no further than we already are.
Oh. Ok
tonestertm said:
True.
I had difficulty with that the first time, too. I can probably help, but either in PM or another thread; been running SD cards for about as long as you've been trying.
Unfortunately, even though there are some great resources around (see the Novaports sticky above, for one) there's just not enough solid info yet to discover whether there's access to the necessary pin. The whole chip is about 1/4 inch square, containing about 115 contact sites in what's called a ball grid array, or BGA, all on the bottom surface of that tiny, "wahfer-thin" speck. This is married to a daughtercard which brings the necessary contacts out to the real world and has some more circuitry (most notably the chip which handles the wireless/bluetooth antenna switching). There's no way to tell from the pictures I've found whether they designed any access to the FM receive pin for the outside world. And I'd bet good solid money that there's no access to the FM transmit pins (separate Antenna and Audio L/R).
So, not impossible, but the real question is, how much would you be willing to spend to re-engineer a new daughtercard to gain access to these things (if, in fact, they're not accessible)? It would undoubtedly be more than the price of a brand new tablet which already contains all these things and more.
If they did bring the RX pin out on the daughtercard, then it should be possible to do some microsoldering and a lot of what I've just said is moot. But without disassembling one I have no way of knowing. If this were the case, then Spirit would likely be the way to go, as I ran across indications that Mike was doing some serious digging into this issue last year. There's also an infinitesimal ray of hope for drivers from a ROM that somebody put together for one of the Droids, which uses the same chip, that apparently has FM working.
I suppose one moderately simple test would be to load up Spirit, and bring a moderately powerful FM transmitter right up to the base end of the Nook, hoping for some leakage through all the shielding, and see if a signal can be picked up. Unfortunately, unless the result were positive, we'd be no further than we already are.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So I guess the best thing I can do for the moment is to get CM7 to boot and try Spirit on it. I can do that, and I have a transmitter that might work too. I will post the results.
KrellaKrentoshi said:
Challenging isn't the same as impossible, and it must surely be easier than trying to get CM7 installed to SD card for my NC. I'm beyond stuck on that one, been trying off an on for a year. It seems to me that if the problem lies in the hardware, we should be able to correct that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really?
have you tried this post?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1000957
because that's been around for quite some time...and it is rather easy...
and it's been around for well over a year....
just sayin...
yep
I have tried it, and 2 others, and im stuck.
KrellaKrentoshi said:
I have tried it, and 2 others, and im stuck.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
okay...it's pretty simple...but i'll bite....where are you stuck? what exactly about the process is messing you up...
you get the CM7 image, burn it to your SD card using the program provided...insert it into the nook and press the power button...
plasticarmyman said:
okay...it's pretty simple...but i'll bite....where are you stuck? what exactly about the process is messing you up...
you get the CM7 image, burn it to your SD card using the program provided...insert it into the nook and press the power button...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
..........and watch the little blue android on the skateboard for the next 20 mins until i shut it off. It wont get past the blue dude's splashscreen. I'm working on it on another thread and PM. In the meantime, do ya think you could run the little experiment mentioned a few posts back please?
I made some progress today!!
tonestertm said:
True.
I had difficulty with that the first time, too. I can probably help, but either in PM or another thread; been running SD cards for about as long as you've been trying.
Unfortunately, even though there are some great resources around (see the Novaports sticky above, for one) there's just not enough solid info yet to discover whether there's access to the necessary pin. The whole chip is about 1/4 inch square, containing about 115 contact sites in what's called a ball grid array, or BGA, all on the bottom surface of that tiny, "wahfer-thin" speck. This is married to a daughtercard which brings the necessary contacts out to the real world and has some more circuitry (most notably the chip which handles the wireless/bluetooth antenna switching). There's no way to tell from the pictures I've found whether they designed any access to the FM receive pin for the outside world. And I'd bet good solid money that there's no access to the FM transmit pins (separate Antenna and Audio L/R).
So, not impossible, but the real question is, how much would you be willing to spend to re-engineer a new daughtercard to gain access to these things (if, in fact, they're not accessible)? It would undoubtedly be more than the price of a brand new tablet which already contains all these things and more.
If they did bring the RX pin out on the daughtercard, then it should be possible to do some microsoldering and a lot of what I've just said is moot. But without disassembling one I have no way of knowing. If this were the case, then Spirit would likely be the way to go, as I ran across indications that Mike was doing some serious digging into this issue last year. There's also an infinitesimal ray of hope for drivers from a ROM that somebody put together for one of the Droids, which uses the same chip, that apparently has FM working.
I suppose one moderately simple test would be to load up Spirit, and bring a moderately powerful FM transmitter right up to the base end of the Nook, hoping for some leakage through all the shielding, and see if a signal can be picked up. Unfortunately, unless the result were positive, we'd be no further than we already are.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got my NC running CM 7.2.0. Turns out I needed to rename the ROM and also something was bad on my SD card. I have been happily exploring CM7 and getting my google apps on my NC for 2 hours now. Among the apps I downloaded is Spirit FM, the free version for testing. It loads well, I plugged in headphones and an antenna and can't get a signal, not even static. I will look for my transmitter tonight/tomorow and see what happens then. Thanks for all the encouragement and support on the CM7 thing yall!
Yay!
KrellaKrentoshi said:
I got my NC running CM 7.2.0. Turns out I needed to rename the ROM and also something was bad on my SD card. I have been happily exploring CM7 and getting my google apps on my NC for 2 hours now. Among the apps I downloaded is Spirit FM, the free version for testing. It loads well, I plugged in headphones and an antenna and can't get a signal, not even static. I will look for my transmitter tonight/tomorow and see what happens then. Thanks for all the encouragement and support on the CM7 thing yall!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Looking forward to your results. And, Enjoy!
I did the test.....
tonestertm said:
True.
I had difficulty with that the first time, too. I can probably help, but either in PM or another thread; been running SD cards for about as long as you've been trying.
Unfortunately, even though there are some great resources around (see the Novaports sticky above, for one) there's just not enough solid info yet to discover whether there's access to the necessary pin. The whole chip is about 1/4 inch square, containing about 115 contact sites in what's called a ball grid array, or BGA, all on the bottom surface of that tiny, "wahfer-thin" speck. This is married to a daughtercard which brings the necessary contacts out to the real world and has some more circuitry (most notably the chip which handles the wireless/bluetooth antenna switching). There's no way to tell from the pictures I've found whether they designed any access to the FM receive pin for the outside world. And I'd bet good solid money that there's no access to the FM transmit pins (separate Antenna and Audio L/R).
So, not impossible, but the real question is, how much would you be willing to spend to re-engineer a new daughtercard to gain access to these things (if, in fact, they're not accessible)? It would undoubtedly be more than the price of a brand new tablet which already contains all these things and more.
If they did bring the RX pin out on the daughtercard, then it should be possible to do some microsoldering and a lot of what I've just said is moot. But without disassembling one I have no way of knowing. If this were the case, then Spirit would likely be the way to go, as I ran across indications that Mike was doing some serious digging into this issue last year. There's also an infinitesimal ray of hope for drivers from a ROM that somebody put together for one of the Droids, which uses the same chip, that apparently has FM working.
I suppose one moderately simple test would be to load up Spirit, and bring a moderately powerful FM transmitter right up to the base end of the Nook, hoping for some leakage through all the shielding, and see if a signal can be picked up. Unfortunately, unless the result were positive, we'd be no further than we already are.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Houston, we have a problem. I have a stock nook running cm7 on sd card. Spirit FM Free with superuser permissions granted couldn't pick up the transmitter. :crying: I even put the transmitter right up against the nook and didn't hear anything, so it's not looking very good. I know on my droid 4 I had to have it rooted in order for the FM to work, I wonder if that is the case here? Anyone got a rooted nook to try this experiment out on? Once my warrenty is up I will try "nooting" and see if FM works then. If it is the daughter card, I am at a loss. Anyone got an idea about what we can do next? tonestertm, I can't find your Novoports sticky. Can you repost the link please?:good:
KrellaKrentoshi said:
tonestertm, I can't find your Novoports sticky. Can you repost the link please?:good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No need for a link, the Novaports thread is the third one down from the top of this forum.
Does anyone have new Joying HU with surround digital amplifier? Has the sound quality improved?
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFr...zWiloVA/videos
They just came out. I posted in your other thread. I have one coming tomorrow. It may be some time before you get any real feedback since they are new. Looks promising, but we learn not to get our hopes up too much.
pounce said:
They just came out. I posted in your other thread. I have one coming tomorrow. It may be some time before you get any real feedback since they are new. Looks promising, but we learn not to get our hopes up too much.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that's cool, I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the new unit
For reference:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073LF3GZP
Others should buy this so I have safety in numbers
I wouldn't expect greatness from an amp in units like this. Any good HUs that have optical out? That is probably the safest choice to get good sound out of these units.
Sent from my VS986 using Tapatalk
Ziggyrama said:
I wouldn't expect greatness from an amp in units like this. Any good HUs that have optical out? That is probably the safest choice to get good sound out of these units.
Sent from my VS986 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Anyone seen an android unit with toslink? For what its worth method of transport has no relation to sound quality. They solve different needs. Transport is like a road. It can be smooth or bumpy, but has nothing to do with the car you drive over it. You can send crap over a toslink and the head unit would have to convert lower grade data to PCM.
pounce said:
Anyone seen an android unit with toslink? For what its worth method of transport has no relation to sound quality. They solve different needs. Transport is like a road. It can be smooth or bumpy, but has nothing to do with the car you drive over it. You can send crap over a toslink and the head unit would have to convert lower grade data to PCM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, you are correct but it is important to note how these units are built. Toslink removes the need for DAC which is the weak link. Basically, the unit reads digital media and sends digital signal to something else which has its own DAC. Decoding and sending digital signals in these HUs is done with off the shelf chipssets that either work or don't. It is binary. A cheap DAC adds a lot of artifacts and general noise to the signal. So, the reality is, a cheap HU that does toslink can yield good sound. A cheap HU with a DAC will not, because economics won't allow it. That is why I asked. To use your analogy, what is better, a smooth road paved with no seams and expansion joints or one that was paved piece meal with connectors and detours? Hope that makes sense.
Sent from my VS986 using Tapatalk
Ziggyrama said:
Yes, you are correct but it is important to note how these units are built. Toslink removes the need for DAC which is the weak link. Basically, the unit reads digital media and sends digital signal to something else which has its own DAC. Decoding and sending digital signals in these HUs is done with off the shelf chipssets that either work or don't. It is binary. A cheap DAC adds a lot of artifacts and general noise to the signal. So, the reality is, a cheap HU that does toslink can yield good sound. A cheap HU with a DAC will not, because economics won't allow it. That is why I asked. To use your analogy, what is better, a smooth road paved with no seams and expansion joints or one that was paved piece meal with connectors and detours? Hope that makes sense.
Sent from my VS986 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Many head units that have toslink really only had it for the CD or DVD and didn't convert radio or aux etc. A few units exist that do the conversion, but its pretty slim. I really don't think anyone has the expectation that for 300 bucks you are getting something amazing. You probably do get something incrementally better than the basic stuff we have been seeing.
Discussing toslink on these units is definitely an armchair topic and pretty far from realistic even if logically is makes sense.
i am really considering that 10.1 inch Joying, it would be my third Joying, so I have a good method of comparison
Well if its like the previous Joying units you can expect about one in 3 units to fully function out of the box and that one to fail within 90 days. Cheap chinese low quality junk with no warranty support.
Second, it does not belong in this forum. Has NOTHING to do with android auto. Off topic.
CadillacMike said:
i am really considering that 10.1 inch Joying, it would be my third Joying, so I have a good method of comparison
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do it! I need safety in numbers. I have a few others to compare that are still running.
I popped it open. I actually don't think the back is any sort of serious heatsink. The digital amp is screwed to it, but there is a gap. Video out is cables alongside the left rear usb. I'm not sure what the empty socket is between the mic and the video out. There is nothing identifying on the silver box.
I probably wont get to bench testing it until the weekend or next week.
pounce said:
I popped it open. I actually don't think the back is any sort of serious heatsink. The digital amp is screwed to it, but there is a gap. Video out is cables alongside the left rear usb. I'm not sure what the empty socket is between the mic and the video out. There is nothing identifying on the silver box.
I probably wont get to bench testing it until the weekend or next week.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for tearing into one of these... I've been really curious if that fancy looking back panel was actually a functional heatsink or not. Curious how you rank the sound quality and "no heat problem" this unit is supposed to be advertised for... Look forward to the rest of your review/testing!
I am very interested to see if there is a noticeable sound difference
My Joying died and I put in a Sony until I figure out my next move.
I was genuinely shocked at the sound improvement. And I always thought my Joying sounded great, but my speakers have come alive with the Sony
i got the 10 inch single din with an amp and DSP. I got it installed last night. only had a short drive to test it, but I think it sounds pretty great
CadillacMike said:
i got the 10 inch single din with an amp and DSP. I got it installed last night. only had a short drive to test it, but I think it sounds pretty great
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you get a model number on that? I had to have several emails with joying describing what I wanted with a single din and 10.1 screen. They told me to buy a certain one and then add 40 bucks and they would know what to send. Seemed weird. Just wonder if that's what you did also.
pounce said:
Did you get a model number on that? I had to have several emails with joying describing what I wanted with a single din and 10.1 screen. They told me to buy a certain one and then add 40 bucks and they would know what to send. Seemed weird. Just wonder if that's what you did also.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not yet, mine was a replacement for my 8 inch that quit working. I emailed them asking for a specific model number so I can post it in my review
Joying now makes it clear on their site:
Note: JOYING car stereo with internal digital amplifier only can fit the car which without internal amplifier and external amplifier.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I assume this is because there appears to be a lack of rear pre-outs, but I'm not totally clear. I did see that if you enable an external amp the controls are reverted to the old interface.
So I have had my new 10 inch unit for about 2 days, and it works great. *Bluetooth doesn't drop out, sounds awesome. *
today and only today, I was listening to music loudly, and I noticed it would drop out a bit. *I thought it was odd and looked at the screen, and I got this flash with yellow on top and some Chinese writing:
I did a reboot and it started working fine again
Right on, thanks for posting your experiences with this unit... I decided to buy an Xtrons 10.1 octacore unit because it was around $100 cheaper than the Joying with the digital amp... Heard a number of complaints about wireless sucking and stuff so I'm eyeing the Joying as a backup if the Xtrons unit goes bad or I discover some sort of weird issue. I gotta admit, I have not encountered any problems with it thus far so hopefully I won't be needing to swap it for the Joying, but its good to know it generally works pretty good (and sounds good) ... One note about the Xtrons unit, is yes the wireless does kinda suck if I'm trying to use my home wireless from the driveway, however its rock solid and fast when I'm using my phone as a hotspot, which is how it will be used 99% of the time, so I'm pretty stoked thats not an issue!
Anyways, thanks again for the info guys!
Hi All,
Im thinking of buying a new head unit for my BMW E90, are there any preferences over these brands? Im swaying towards the Eonon GA7165/GA8165 but i believe most of these units are all the same but branded differently?
<--Update-->
Right so after carefully considering everything for 2 years I finally bought one!
I've just purchased the Xtrons PE9890BIPL
https://xtrons.co.uk/bmw-3-series-android-8-0-pe9890bipl
It is on offer for just £239.99 which to me was a steal as second hand units (if you can find one) tend to sell for around £150+ because most people paid £300ish.
it has a beefy specced system of an Octa Core PX5 processor with 4GB RAM and a 32GB ROM running Android 8.0. This unit also has a big 9" screen at the expense of losing a DVD drive and some physical buttons (all of which can be used from your own steering wheel controls) but they offer the same spec with a smaller screen and contains the physical buttons if you'd prefer the physical buttons and DVD drive.
the newer head units running Android 9.0 aren't as good, currently offering a quad core PX35 processor (same x64 bit architecture but runs more efficient) and only 2GB RAM and 16GB ROM so it's a downgrade really.
Then of course we move onto the brilliant XDA forum for custom ROMS, and it just so happens they've already managed to get Android 9.0 onto these PX5 units
So I chose Xtrons because from what I've read most companies buy these units from the same supplier and brand them leaving other factors to be considered, for me xtrons is UK based so next day delivery, plus clearence prices, they also offered the beefier head unit, support seems okay (some chaps hasd ssues with steering wheel functions not working after locking and getting back into car, long story short they sent people new looms and sorted) and then on top of this XDA developers providing custom ROMS which can fix a lot of the common issues. I'll provide another update when it comes on Monday
at the moment
8-core-px5 - Dasaita > All because of the different (stand-alone BT and WiFi chips)
4-Core-px3 - IMHO the only differnce is the OS. 7.1 has no custom roms yet, so yo probably have a bloated OS
difference at both to consider: AMP chip TDA7388 or TDA7850, clear recomindation is the TDA7850 because ist has way more power and sounds clearer and more crisp
https://de.aliexpress.com/item/Car-android-GPS-For-BMW-E93-318LI-E92-325-E91-320LI-E90-328LI-autoradio-navigation-head/32808481136.html
zapedge said:
difference at both to consider: AMP chip TDA7388 or TDA7850, clear recomindation is the TDA7850 because ist has way more power and sounds clearer and more crisp
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey I'm new here.
Is the selection of AMP chip important ? Seems there's very few manufacturers using TDA7850.
The few that do use TDA7850 seem lots more expensive. Is this normal ?
Example http://smarty-trend.com/13-2-din-universal
zapedge said:
at the moment
8-core-px5 - Dasaita > All because of the different (stand-alone BT and WiFi chips)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1) BT and Wifi are going to be on the *same* chip, so don't need to pluralize that.
2) The positioning of that particular RF chip (whether it be on the SoM or the host board) doesn't *technically* matter. The downside to being on the host board is typically that the reseller may have a bigger part in writing software that interfaces with it, and reseller written software is always a very bad thing.
3) Intel Sofia units also have the wifibt and GPS chips on the SoM.
Even with the wifibt on the SoM, the resellers *still* manage to mess it up, however, it may be somewhat easier to clean up in this case.
---------- Post added at 07:19 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:17 PM ----------
bgroper said:
Hey I'm new here.
Is the selection of AMP chip important ? Seems there's very few manufacturers using TDA7850.
The few that do use TDA7850 seem lots more expensive. Is this normal ?
Example http://smarty-trend.com/13-2-din-universal
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think it may have to do mainly with your needs and expectations.
Neither is going to satisfy anyone who self-identifies as an "audiophile".
I think the main differences are that the 7850 is slightly more powerful (4x50 vs 4x45 watt), and is ok with 2 ohm speakers where the 7388 is 4 ohm only.
http://www.st.com/content/ccc/resou...df/jcr:content/translations/en.CD00179160.pdf
http://www.st.com/content/ccc/resou...df/jcr:content/translations/en.CD00145702.pdf
luciusfox said:
1) BT and Wifi are going to be on the *same* chip, so don't need to pluralize that.
2) The positioning of that particular RF chip (whether it be on the SoM or the host board) doesn't *technically* matter. The downside to being on the host board is typically that the reseller may have a bigger part in writing software that interfaces with it, and reseller written software is always a very bad thing.
3) Intel Sofia units also have the wifibt and GPS chips on the SoM.
Even with the wifibt on the SoM, the resellers *still* manage to mess it up, however, it may be somewhat easier to clean up in this case.
---------- Post added at 07:19 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:17 PM ----------
I think it may have to do mainly with your needs and expectations.
Neither is going to satisfy anyone who self-identifies as an "audiophile".
I think the main differences are that the 7850 is slightly more powerful (4x50 vs 4x45 watt), and is ok with 2 ohm speakers where the 7388 is 4 ohm only.
http://www.st.com/content/ccc/resou...df/jcr:content/translations/en.CD00179160.pdf
http://www.st.com/content/ccc/resou...df/jcr:content/translations/en.CD00145702.pdf
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Which make and model has the 7850 chip? I've just had a look at the Eonons, Xtrons and Joying units for the E90 and the most I have found is 4x48w and all the rest are the same 4x45w.
Not sure which chip mine got but I do have the Octacore GA7165A and I'm really happy with it just a few setup things I need to figure out. I also installed Viper4Android which improves the sound greatly only issue I'm facing is it does not apply to the MTC radio.
nils_92 said:
Not sure which chip mine got but I do have the Octacore GA7165A and I'm really happy with it just a few setup things I need to figure out. I also installed Viper4Android which improves the sound greatly only issue I'm facing is it does not apply to the MTC radio.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Probably because the radio analog output never touches the CPU. It goes RADIO --> BD37xxx --> amplifier --> speakers.
The BD37xxx is an audio processor/mixer. Bunch of analog inputs, bunch of analog outputs, i2c control from either the MCU or SoC depending in which vendor it is.
nils_92 said:
Not sure which chip mine got but I do have the Octacore GA7165A and I'm really happy with it just a few setup things I need to figure out. I also installed Viper4Android which improves the sound greatly only issue I'm facing is it does not apply to the MTC radio.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi mate,
Good to hear that Viper4Android works on the GA7165A model, so you've not experienced any other issues? On a YouTube video I've read various things such as Audio quality being poor through Spotify which is one of the main things I'd want, and also phone calls sounding muffled, though I assume that's probably down to the positioning of the Mic itself. What sound system do you have as well mate, is it stock or upgraded?
luciusfox said:
Probably because the radio analog output never touches the CPU. It goes RADIO --> BD37xxx --> amplifier --> speakers.
The BD37xxx is an audio processor/mixer. Bunch of analog inputs, bunch of analog outputs, i2c control from either the MCU or SoC depending in which vendor it is.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Very surprised you know information as detailed as that Knowing all that you do, what would you advise to purchase?
mrsweet1991 said:
Hi mate,
Good to hear that Viper4Android works on the GA7165A model, so you've not experienced any other issues? On a YouTube video I've read various things such as Audio quality being poor through Spotify which is one of the main things I'd want, and also phone calls sounding muffled, though I assume that's probably down to the positioning of the Mic itself. What sound system do you have as well mate, is it stock or upgraded?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I’ve got the stock sound system of a 2006 E91 I have installed Spotify but I haven’t used it yet still waiting for my mifi device but I’ll give it a shot maybe tomorrow and let you know.
In terms of Bluetooth / phone Bluetooth music is very good and also works through Viper4Android for the phone function itself I’ve only used the internal mic so far and that is a bit quiet but I’ll install the external mic later in the hope that it will improve the volume issue.
One thing I did have was V4A wouldn’t start automatically until I installed it as a system app now or does that just fine and from a sound quality perspective it is not worse than the default Prof. Head unit if anything I would say better since I can set a more granular sound set-up ( I like deep bass when the radio is not too loud just like the loudness feature on other stereos).
Not sure where you live if anywhere near southwest London feel free to pm me and we can meet for a coffee and you can have a look at it
@mrsweet1991 Have not yet tinkered with the mic but I did try Spotify for you and can report it works just fine I left the Spotify EQ off and instead use V4A and the sound quality is as good as an MP3 on the USB.
Hope that helps.
Have now installed the external mic however I had to disconnect the internal mic to get good quality I might go ahead and solder the external mic onto the internal port so I can use that for OK Google etc as well but with external mic and internal disconnected the quality is good.
How can i root the ga8165 and install xposed framework?
Another thoroughly derailed / hijacked thread
mrsweet1991 said:
Hi All,
Im thinking of buying a new head unit for my BMW E90, are there any preferences over these brands? Im swaying towards the Eonon GA7165/GA8165 but i believe most of these units are all the same but branded differently?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I recently purchased this unit (GA7165A)and installed it.
If you purchased this unit how do you like it so far?
By the way I have a L7 AMP (fiber) and had to do a bit of research to figure out a few functional work around.
nils_92 said:
Have now installed the external mic however I had to disconnect the internal mic to get good quality I might go ahead and solder the external mic onto the internal port so I can use that for OK Google etc as well but with external mic and internal disconnected the quality is good.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi Mate,
Been such a long time since I've been on here, I just wanted to say a big thanks for the information it's good to know. I'm hoping one day I might get a break from fixing things on the car and actually get to stick an eonon unit in! Last time I here the 7165a was the best out and now there's a 8165a lol
mallen462 said:
I recently purchased this unit (GA7165A)and installed it.
If you purchased this unit how do you like it so far?
By the way I have a L7 AMP (fiber) and had to do a bit of research to figure out a few functional work around.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi mate, I've not had a chance to buy one yet.. I seem to end up fixing the bloody car all the time haha. Walked in for an MOT and come out with a failure for a snapped rear spring and a couple of other minor things.. Starting to get back on track now though, so I take it you have the logic 7 system? Mines just the basic system with underseat subs so should be easier to setup but less rewarding on the sound quality side haha.
Also interested in buying a unit for my E90, just not sure how to pick a unit and know that im getting one of the more reliable manufacturers with stable software? Anyone have experience with the Eonon 8165A? seems like the best deal..
Xtrons
Sent from my [device_name] using XDA-Developers Legacy app
Can any GA8615a owners vouch for the sound quality? Is it any worse than the stock HU?