Gemini: Vulture gives PDA some Linux lovin'

I use a smartwatch which means I don't need to touch my phone to see who's calling, and a collar-style always-on bluetooth headset means I can quickly pop an ear bud to make or receive a call. To make a call I just dab a button on the headset and say "ok google... call Andy Aardvark mobile" and voila! My phone can stay in my pocket. Being able to safely ignore calls discretely during meetings is very handy, especially if it's a recruiter I want to talk to ;-)

Re: Rear Camara

*Camera

If I have to pay extra to have a rear camera, it's fair to say it doesn't come with a rear camera, isn't it?

Re: Linux: all the tools are Windows-based.

Well they are essentially tools the chipset manufacturer provides. They do work, though bizarrely not all Windows software can deal with files larger than 4 Gigabytes.

Re: I will be getting the shoulder holster

may not be a good idea in USA.

Begging the question, can you make/receive calls/SMS and use mobile data if you're running Linux?

> What happened to "OK Google - Call Fred!"

That works if enabled. Or you can press the little silver button, it goes "wop!" and then you say "Call Fred"

Nokia communicator

Qwerty, email, fax, web, etc in 2002.

No need to open as the "lid" screen had a keypad and small display.

I had the mono x86 and colour ARM versions.

Sadly the OS on it lost in the 2003 internal Nokia politics.

Won't work on my phone, I have denied the Google app permission to access the microphone. You might be sanguine about your phone sitting listening to you constantly but I'm not.

I also NEVER use Google for search. I have a Startpage shortcut on my home page instead. On my previous phone on an older version of Android I managed to disable Google and get rid of the search bar though attempts to put anything in the space failed.

I attempted that on the new phone and bricked it requiring a factory restart. But saying 'OK Google' has no result. I don't consider opening the address book and scrolling it is a terrible imposition. It also enables me to ring someone without everyone around knowing who I'm ringing. I have a shortcut to my wife on the home page as well.

From my experience :

"Ok Google, Call fred"

"Calling Bob" (That dick from 3 contracts ago whos number you only saves specifically so you could ignore his calls)

"Ok Google, Cancel... Hang up... Shit, shit... "

"Hi bob! Hows it going?!

That might just be me though!

Hehe I bought one for the same reason... I need a new phone, everything out there is "meh", I pretty much only browse, SSH and message from my current phone and have longed for the return of the Psion 5MX since I was a kid. I could only afford the Siena back then (I was ~15).

Admittedly I'm also curious about Linux and specifically Sailfish on this device, because Android is lost to Google and privacy invasion IMO. I'm an Android dev, Sailfish 3 will supposedly have Android app support (with far better security than on Android itself), so makes a natural choice. I can take my apps, evaluate the platform and decide if it's worth porting to native Linux/Sailfish apps.

Re: It's still rather disappointing

there are different sets of keycaps for different countries, but you had to tell Planet before they made them and shipped them out!

Re: It's still rather disappointing

It took me a while to figure it out but the German keyboard setup does work. You have to make sure that you don't enable any of the AOSP keyboards. Things then work as expected though you have to learn which symbols mean what. The lack of second modifier key to the right of the space bar can be annoying but typing generally works well.

@Christian

I can well imagine. I mean... Read the article: it basically only shares the keyboard and the clamshell model, that's all it has in common with the Psion 5mx. To me this translates to: they're trying to monetize on the Psion brand. But without delivering the same expectations.

Sorry, but I find it seriously awkward that I hear no one ever mentioning once how this device managed to handle their appointments. While keeping in mind that this is supposed to be a PDA.

For some people all the logic stops after they hear the name 'Psion'. Psion got big because it managed to deliver a highly functional product. Sure, you could do TONS with it, the 5mx was especially notorious for that (I even ran Norton Commander in a DOS setup) but it did so while still staying loyal to its primary objective: being a PDA.

The PDA functionality came first and foremost. The rest (ironically enough also the most impressive stuff) after.

But this... Sorry but I am not a fan. It sucks at being a PDA; it's basically an Android phone molded into a clamshell model. But as long as people keep calling it a Psion it sells because.. keyboard!

The 5mx was MUCH MORE than the keyboard thank you very much. And I am a little upset how low some "Psion fans" managed to set their standards. The 5mx was WAY MORE that just the keyboard, but stuff like this almost makes it seem as if that was its main selling point.

That's what you get when companies try to monetize on another product: the original often gets heavily disrespected because.. who remembers that anyway? Well, I do. And I am still passionate about it. I think this whole project doesn't do the Psion name much credit. It mostly credits the manefactories wallet. Where is that patent protection when you need it?

Isn't Psion a registered trademark or something? Some kind of protection to keep the real memories alive?

Re: Think it could be simpler

I think you have to try and build a similar device to see which approach works best. You really have to use the Gemini to appreciate how well it works as a PDA.

Re: smartphone flip case with a bluetooth keyboard

No, needs to be a USB dock, like Linx tablets. BT keyboards inherently useless (sleep, wake, pairing etc).

I have on that works nice on smartphones. Main issue is the plug.

Re: Think it could be simpler

"more choice of phone etc."

Yes, but virtually no phone out there comes with any kind of normal operating system. Even the x86 phones are not PC-compabible so you cannot install $Operatingsystem of your choice.

Android is not what the people buying it, bought it for. It's a stopgap solution until the actual Linux is there... or until the Pyra ships.