Abusing Pyra as communication device (needs camera)


A camera in the hinge would be yet another great feature. I reckon generous shielding of all the camera's power/data lines, securing the wires such that they don't rub or otherwise touch the display cable, and a small sensor spaced far enough away from the display cable would get rid of any fears of cable noise.

Some people get really fussy over exposed ports and buy or make port covers. I suppose this is a valid complaint if you live in a coastal area or if your area is constantly humid regardless. Maybe, with some nimble fingers and a lot of patience, one could hack the power/data lines into a deep USB port cover (albeit with a wide margin of error, but possible nevertheless). Drill a hole that's just big enough to allow the lines through and anchor them down. If you want the lines to slide in/out of the hole, then allow more tolerance and just have a big piece of plastic or many layers of heat-shrink tubing or what-have-you as an anchor.

Next thing you know, you just added 2 features to the Pyra for the price of 1 project. Would be a pretty neat mod.
 
Caine said:
There are plenty of applications for taking pictures where video quality is not vital. To name a few
  • Capturing meeting notes on a whiteboard.
  • Capturing information and/or placing a reminder (e.g. for products in a store).
  • QR-code scanning.
  • Capturing the situation of an accident.
  • Taking a picture in cases you don't have your camera with you. I don't want to carry around a laptop, phone, camera and gaming handheld all the time (that's what a Pyra is for).
If you think long enough, then I am sure you can find some more applications, but I think you get the point.
Click to expand...

All of this could be done with a camera or most any phone nowadays, with the exception of QR-code scanning. (which only the phone would be able to do) You don't need to carry laptop, gaming handheld, phone, and laptop around, but there is no reason someone can't carry 2 from that list together. Most people will have a phone they can take pictures with, and those who are serious about using the Pyra as their phone will likely be carrying around accessories to facilitate a good phone experience with the device anyway, so they could just carry a camera with those accessories.

-God Ginrai
 
When you have a car, you can easily bring umbrellas, lights, a radio etc. with. So why have them build into car?
 
Djoga'Ro said:
When you have a car, you can easily bring umbrellas, lights, a radio etc. with. So why have them build into car?
Click to expand...

A car has plenty of room to add these things in. I didn't say "Even if we have room, damn the cameras". If I cared about features I was unlikely (or don't intend) to use being included when there is room for them to fit, I would have complained about rumble being added to the Pyra long ago.

-God Ginrai
 
@God Ginrai Caine said there are usecases for which a high quality camera would not be needed and that it'd be nice to have a simple one built-in for that. Then you responded with "Take a camera with you". Duh? I just extrapolated from that.
If someone manages to get a cam in their - functional and all. Would that be a bad thing?
 
Djoga'Ro said:
@God Ginrai Caine said there are usecases for which a high quality camera would not be needed and that it'd be nice to have a simple one built-in for that. Then you responded with "Take a camera with you". Duh? I just extrapolated from that.
If someone manages to get a cam in their - functional and all. Would that be a bad thing?
Click to expand...

Actually, I said that before Caine's post. In response to his post, I pointed out that a phone does all of this. And said that for those who were going to use their Pyra as a phone, that they could carry the camera with their other accessories. It's a real solution considering that the Pyra will not have a camera built in.

-God Ginrai
 
You just stressed, that you said it before his post. And two sentences later you say yourself that you said it again after his post. So why did the latter not have happened, when I react to it, but for all other intents and purposes it did?

If someone manages to get a cam in their - functional and all. Would that be a bad thing?
 
Djoga'Ro said:
You just stressed, that you said it before his post. And two sentences later you say yourself that you said it again after his post. So why did the latter not have happened, when I react to it, but for all other intents and purposes it did?

If someone manages to get a cam in their - functional and all. Would that be a bad thing?
Click to expand...

You are still ignoring the fact that I said that those who were using it as a phone could do so. For all other users, I pointed out that they already have a phone that likely can serve the purpose for everything in Caine's list. You told me my response was "take a camera with you." The only time I declared a blanket response like that for users who wanted to take pictures was before Caine responded to me.

I would appreciate it if you didn't twist my words or neglect the surrounding sentences that give my responses context in the future.

EDIT: As for someone managing to hack a camera in: If they manage to do it, I wouldn't care either way. It is their choice what they do with their device once they own it.

-God Ginrai
 
Lol, just as I comment on people getting fussy over exposed ports, that post is immediately followed up by people getting fussy over a camera. Keep moving in this direction and we'll land on keyboard layout discussions again.

The OP clearly asked for a simple front-facing camera in order to complete his requirements for the Pyra to be used as a comms device via SIP (or, at the very least, a similar device w/front-facing camera). I say, why the hell not? Even for those who will use the Pyra as a phone-killer, bringing a small camera just for video-chat or whatever should not be necessary. "Oh, I have a device that dropped in 2016*, lemme clip a webcam on it! Can't wait for ED to start selling Pogs from his shop!"

It's just a front-facing camera. Sensors have gotten small enough. We have the technology. What's the issue?

EDIT: *tentative release date as of 23:07 CST, 15 May, 2016. Not an official release year announcement for the Pyra. You nimwit.
 
This has been gone over dozens of times. There is no place to put a camera. The lens is too tall for anywhere you are likely considering. Cameras are very tall features.
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sulu said:
The camera doesn't have to sit IN the hinge. Maybe it would be even better to put the PCB behind the lid, and only make a hole for the camera module.
That would solve the thickness problem, minimize the amount of case modification and simplify the access to a USB port. A modified (3D-printed?) thicker lid cover could even house the camera, but as a simple first step a piece of cardboard and some double-sided tape might do the job.

To me the hinge seems to be the only reasonable place to integrate a camera into the device, without giving up on the mobility.
Click to expand...
Read the other threads on this - or don't. Another option is to mount camera(s) in side cars on the lid, thicker than the lid. When folded, they would ride to the left or right of the base.
 
tigerroast said:
It's just a front-facing camera. Sensors have gotten small enough. We have the technology. What's the issue?
.
Click to expand...

The camera is the component in phones that dictate the device thickness and sometimes the back hump. Smallest ones available in small quantities are 8+mm thick on 16x16mm boards. Pyra lid is @4mm from outer plastic to frame. It isn't desire or lack of. It is math.
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Silent-Hunter said:
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2381752,00.asp

I wonder when these will be available and how much they will be. Is 1x1x1 millimeter acceptable?
Click to expand...
Is 1/20 of a MP resolution acceptable?
 
Grench said:
Silent-Hunter said:
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2381752,00.asp

I wonder when these will be available and how much they will be. Is 1x1x1 millimeter acceptable?
Click to expand...
Is 1/20 of a MP resolution acceptable?
Click to expand...

To clarify, the resulting picture would be this size: (and probably this shape too)
bluesquare.png


EDIT: ... and it would look a lot smaller on the Pyra's screen.

-Neelix
 
The OP has asked a valid question. The 2nd post established the fact that we won't have a builtin solution. Hence we discuss external options and mods.

God Ginrai, for someone who doesn't care either way you spent a lot of words convincing people to carry a phone or camera instead of modding the Pyra or adding an extension. The Pyra does not and will not have a builtin camera. Do not worry. You won that discussion already.

As for a mobile phone, yes it can do all that. It can do everything the Pyra can. Why don't you just go buy a mobile phone instead, it can emulate gaming controls and keyboards on the touchscreen.

Personally, I don't want a mobile phone.
 
ThinkPad said:
here is my proposal for USB attachable camera on the back.
Click to expand...

That is the idea that most people have, I think. The problem is finding a properly dimensioned camera, as well as someone willing to design the hardware and housing for this. As far as I have been able to discover, such a USB camera does not currently exist. The ones you can find are much larger (at least the size of a USB stick).
 
Speaking of abusing the Pyra as a communication device, I've been wondering if it may be possible to cannibalize a wired headset and mount the speaker and mic inside the top lid behind the screen, and run a short bit of cable with a 90 degree connector to the headset jack in the back. Then, with a few holes drilled through to let sound through, you can hold it up your ear while it's closed and use it like a normal phone.
 
If I was to really dream then I would like to have a small bar which fits into the indentation on the back where all the ports are which brings out the following features:
  • Camera (connected to USB3 port)
  • Optional USB3 port (could you fit a tiny USB3 hub)?
  • ESATA (builtin version of the eSATA adapter)
  • HDMI (full-size) (forwards to microHDMI)
  • Optional VGA (probably not feasible)
  • Ethernet (connect to USB 2)
  • Audio port (forwards)
  • Micro-USB (for charging) (forwards to Micro-USB)
emcee said:
I've been wondering if it may be possible to cannibalize a wired headset and mount the speaker and mic inside the top lid behind the screen
Click to expand...
I believe there is not enough space behind the screen to do that.
 
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