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Pocket Popcorn Computer: Linux in Your Pocket

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Re: Pocket Popcorn Computer: Linux in Your Pocket

#31

Post by hp49 »

kweks wrote: post #29

A similar device that exists, has a 'real' keyboard, 4G/Wifi/BLE and a metal clamshell case is the https://store.planetcom.co.uk/products/gemini-pda-1 I've been running Android on it, but it also runs Debian apparently very well. 400dpi screen, enough to have 2 / 3 consoles open at the same time. It's most definitely saved my bacon a few times.

Two years ago I was looking for somoething highly portable with a physical keyboard. Found the Gemini on Indiegogo.

I backed it there, travelled for almost a year on a bicycle with the Gemini in a bag and it's still running.

The Debian distro has its issues, though...

Re: Pocket Popcorn Computer: Linux in Your Pocket

#32

Post by bovine3dom »

noobermin wrote: post #20
mike_d wrote: post #17

Anyone interested in this might consider the GPD MicroPC. It has become my go-to "fits in a cargo pocket" computer. They had a battery controller issue initially with the Indiegogo batch, but that has been solved on the ones you can get from Amazon now.

Was looking at these micro pc's and one of the more annoying things is that `|' is not in its usual location. I was hoping to install linux on one and having the pipe in a nonstandard place might take getting used to.

I have a GPD Pocket. The keyboard does take some getting used to. More problematically it's essentially unusable if you have chunky fingers due to the small key size. It's fine for me, but about 1 in 3 of my male friends really struggle with it.

It's perfect for travelling for me. I just wish it was slightly speedier and that it had a better trackpoint (which later models have sadly removed entirely).

Re: Pocket Popcorn Computer: Linux in Your Pocket

#33

Post by Semaphor »

0b0001 wrote: post #27
praptak wrote: post #13

Smartphones solved the portable monitor problem. What humanity needs now is a truly portable keyboard. Something that you can carry as easily as a smartphone and that lets you type as conveniently as on a good laptop keyboard. Are there any promising attempts at this?

If you were talking about yourself only, I'd agree. But since you name humanity, one thing must be very clear: most people don't like keyboards. That's something that holds in "the developed world". Outside of the ASCII-world, that might be even more so. Smartphone keyboards with glide typing function very well for language (i.e., no passwords and no programming). They have an important feature: they provide the inpu…

> Smartphone keyboards with glide typing function very well for language (i.e., no passwords and no programming). They have an important feature: they provide the input you want, not exactly characters for the keypresses you did.

If only. Because when people write nonsensical sentences and you ask what’s going on, the reply is usually "sorry, on mobile".

Re: Pocket Popcorn Computer: Linux in Your Pocket

#34

Post by goodcanadian »

Semaphor wrote: post #33
0b0001 wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you were talking about yourself only, I'd agree. But since you name humanity, one thing must be very clear: most people don't like keyboards. That's something that holds in "the developed world". Outside of the ASCII-world, that might be even more so. Smartphone keyboards with glide typing function very well for language (i.e., no passwords and no programming). They have an important feature: they provide the inpu…

> Smartphone keyboards with glide typing function very well for language (i.e., no passwords and no programming). They have an important feature: they provide the input you want, not exactly characters for the keypresses you did. If only. Because when people write nonsensical sentences and you ask what’s going on, the reply is usually "sorry, on mobile".

Indeed, I have been caught out so many times with the word I want initially appearing on screen, and then auto-"corrected" to something else when I input the next word and I am no longer looking.

Re: Pocket Popcorn Computer: Linux in Your Pocket

#35

Post by tonylemesmer »

I've acquired a Hyperkeyboardpi[0] kit, not yet built. But essentially its a keyboard add on for a raspberry pi which when paired with a Hyperpixel 4.0 touchscreen from Pimoroni makes a little handheld terminal. It's designed for a Pi 3 but I'm trying a Pi 4. I'll see how I get on. The keyboard kit is only available in Japan but there are shipping companies that will forward it for you.

[0] https://www.telnet.jp/~mia/sb/log/eid317.html

[1] https://shop.pimoroni.com/products/hyperpixel-4?variant=1256...

Re: Pocket Popcorn Computer: Linux in Your Pocket

#37

Post by flukus »

kweks wrote: post #29

A similar device that exists, has a 'real' keyboard, 4G/Wifi/BLE and a metal clamshell case is the https://store.planetcom.co.uk/products/gemini-pda-1 I've been running Android on it, but it also runs Debian apparently very well. 400dpi screen, enough to have 2 / 3 consoles open at the same time. It's most definitely saved my bacon a few times.

Last I checked no 4g/SMS/calls with debian. Same old driver story of why we only have android phones and not Linux phones. Fixing that was/is the big promise of the librem 5.

Re: Pocket Popcorn Computer: Linux in Your Pocket

#38

Post by vsviridov »

kweks wrote: post #29

A similar device that exists, has a 'real' keyboard, 4G/Wifi/BLE and a metal clamshell case is the https://store.planetcom.co.uk/products/gemini-pda-1 I've been running Android on it, but it also runs Debian apparently very well. 400dpi screen, enough to have 2 / 3 consoles open at the same time. It's most definitely saved my bacon a few times.

Very reminiscent of the Psion.

Edit: no wonder, Martin Riddiford, who worked on Psion 5 Series worked on Gemini as well.

Re: Pocket Popcorn Computer: Linux in Your Pocket

#39

Post by nizmow »

kweks wrote: post #29

A similar device that exists, has a 'real' keyboard, 4G/Wifi/BLE and a metal clamshell case is the https://store.planetcom.co.uk/products/gemini-pda-1 I've been running Android on it, but it also runs Debian apparently very well. 400dpi screen, enough to have 2 / 3 consoles open at the same time. It's most definitely saved my bacon a few times.

That's cool, but it's also several hundred dollars more expensive. I feel like the $200US price point really brings thing like this down to another level. Not exactly 'disposable', but more like a small appliance rather than something you've got to really look after.

Re: Pocket Popcorn Computer: Linux in Your Pocket

#40

Post by peterburkimsher »

My pockets are already full, but I'm still interested in adding new features. Video and mains power are my current challenge, and I'd like to know more about whether the Kettlepop module inside the Pocket Popcorn computer has HDMI or VGA support. Right now this is what I carry.

Right belt clip (from a scrapyard, looks like it was designed for the Nokia 3650):

1. Third Rail smart battery, integrates well with my iPhone 4S case and has microUSB out for other devices.

2. microUSB male to USB male, 3D rotating adaptor wire.

3. Thin microUSB male to USB female, to get power out of the Third Rail.

4. MicroUSB female to Mini USB male.

5. MicroUSB female to USB C male.

6. MicroUSB female to iPod dock connector male.

7. Lightning female to microUSB male.

8. Dock connector female to Lightning male (Apple OEM because smaller ones stopped working after iOS 8).

9. Kokkia i10s Dock male to Bluetooth, with track info and controls.

10. USB C male to HDMI female.

11. Headphones.

12. Bluetooth remote and FM radio with headphone port (Sony Ericsson MW600).

13. Triple retractable chopsticks (I use these more than you'd think!)

14. Mini pen (Zebra T-3)

Left belt clip (Speck Canvas sport):

15. iPod Video 5.5G, with DIY Converse sticker on the clickwheel.

16. Victorinox SwissCard (the scissors are so useful, though the knife was confiscated in Kuala Lumpur airport while transiting before).

I changed the iPod's hard drive for a Kingspec 128GB SSD, which gave me a lot of internal physical space. That's where I put the Linux computer, and more.

17. Toothpick (for lifting the iPod battery connector, fixing lost screws in friends' glasses, etc)

18. SD female to microSD male x2

19. 512GB SD with a backup of my laptop

20. PQI Air Card (shares SD over WiFi to my phone, so I can read camera cards).

21. MiniDP to HDMI adaptor (with the plastic case removed to make it smaller).

22. EspUSB Tiny WiFi keyboard that fits inside a USB port (please message me if you want to talk about manufacturing these)

23. CoreWind WiFi G25. The Linux computer! It has WiFi, USB host, and can install imobiledevice and mtp-tools to mount phones.

"Technical difficulties" that I can solve:

a. Eating (13)

b. Writing (14)

c. Opening envelopes (16)

d. Listening to music (15 + 11)

e. Charging your phone (1 + 3 + 2 + 4/5/6/6+8)

f. Mac to HDMI (10 or 21)

g. Copying your files from a computer (iPod as a USB disk, 15 + 2 + 6).

h. Having a backup of my files if my bag (with both my laptop and external drive) gets stolen (19)

i. Using an iPhone as a wireless microphone (audioGraph software for iPhone mic -> line out, then 9 to 12 to audio line in)

j. Using iPhone as a clicker, mouse, or Chinese/Korean/Japanese/Arabic/Russian/Thai keyboard on a computer without the engravings (22)

k. Copying files from USB to WiFi (23 + 1 + 3 + 2)

l. Copying files from SD card to WiFi (18 to 20 to 18 to 23, and 1 + 3 + 2 for power)

What I can't do:

m. Mac to VGA (this was a problem at a church in Taiwan)

n. iPad Lightning to VGA (this was a problem at a church in Switzerland)

o. WiFi to VGA (might solve m + n). Raspberry Pi Zero W can be configured to use AirPlay, and can do VGA over GPIO. EspVGAX is also interesting, but I'd have to paste text into the browser for every slide.

p. WiFi to HDMI (maybe with the OrangePi Zero 2 mini, which also adds Ethernet)

q. Mains and/or 12V charging (plugs are just too big though)

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