An idea for a 'next project' for the Pyra team?

[Ligachamp]

This idea would be very nice as an option to those who want to replace their phone with the pyra. Carrying the pyra next to your ear wouldn't be much comfortable and also looking horrible. Sure, you can use headphones (of what kind ever) to make phoning easier, but that's still not the best solution. You will still have to check the display for who is calling or whatever is happening.

In my opinion you wouldn't have to double/expand the display itself. It would be enough to add a "secondary" screen, like on those ultra gaming keyboards. On those you can push status messages and whatever you want. It isn't neccessary to be able to see the whole pyra screen, information about incoming calls, a contactlist, numpad and so on would be enough for getting the "phone feeling". Depending on the running apps on the pyra you could switch between modes, which will show you e.g. a touchpad or extra keys. This way you don't even have to make this screen too big.

 

[groovechicken]

1. New games for classic consoles:

I know they are available - but expensive (often 40 USD), as they use donor cartridges.

Thanks to the Everdrives, I already have shells. The PCB is simple, and I'm already working on packaging for the Everdrives as well - so except for the PCB, everything exists.

I think I'll be able to produce fully packaged SNES / MegaDrive / etc. games for 15 EUR, with brand new components.

That's something I'm working on (I also want to hold competitions for these games) and will produce the carts on-demand when someone orders.

Additionally, if some coder wants to release his game with a few hundred or thousand copies, I could offer that production service as well.

2. Something like the Retron5:

My idea: Make an enhanced version with the Retrode2 (with more slots), combine that with the pluggable Pyra PCB and put into a neat case (with classic controller ports, USB ports, HDMI out).
Basically, that thing could be used as a desktop version of the Pyra, to play or dump original cartridges and play emulators or other games - and it could run off battery, so would be pretty portable as well.

We already have all that, we just need to combine it

I will throw money at you on both of these ideas. Especially #2. If I didn't have a family to support, I would quit my job and just become your indentured servant to help make this stuff.

 

[Fzero]

Please please, do;

2. Something like the Retron5:

 

[pmprog]

I still like the idea of a tiny computer-based watch with a small dotmatrix/eInk display... Something like my Garmin Forerunner 10, but with a devkit; or kind of like the Pebble, but I'm uninterested in bluetooth, and the battery life is too short.

Edit: Whoo, I've just found the Forerunner 920XT... Might be for me

or Vivoactive which is a bit cheaper

 

[ible]

personally, i would like to see a retro-gaming open smartphone, something like Neo900 meets GCW-zero/OpenPandora, in a small form factor.

 

[rygD]

As mentioned in another thread, if the hardware related to Project Ara seems to be selling well, and the Pyra and other projects are successful, maybe ED and team can make some Ara modules.  I don't know all the details of the Ara stuff, however it would be cool to have a "mini Pyra" that can use most of the same software as the real one.

 

[DrHAX]

A pyra with a pixel QI style screen would make my world. Since I mostly am using my pandora for typing and listening to music a greyscale screen would be fine, honestly the only time I needed colour was Umm... looking at my gathered up artwork my fiancee gave me and others I've downloaded.

I know this will NEVER happen. (Hopes me saying this makes the universe give me a middle finger like it usually does!   Proving me wrong!) But if it did crack open my pyra and install the screen  :wub:  I'd bite the bullet. The only other wish list would be a brass pyra case   Yes I'm a bit different :rolleyes:

 

[levi]

Buy an aluminium and a brass electoplating kit big enough, and bob's your uncle.


AIUI Pixel Qi should give you colour reproduction in outdoors conditions. Transflexive LCDs give you monochrome in daylight, but pixel qi was supposed to be something more (I dunno though - never seen one in the flesh).

 

[fusion_power]

personally, i would like to see a retro-gaming open smartphone, something like Neo900 meets GCW-zero/OpenPandora, in a small form factor.

screenshot.png

Tadaaa:

 

[ible]

A pyra with a pixel QI style screen would make my world. Since I mostly am using my pandora for typing and listening to music a greyscale screen would be fine, honestly the only time I needed colour was Umm... looking at my gathered up artwork my fiancee gave me and others I've downloaded.

Yeah, I've heard the PixelQi screens don't look so good in color even indoors. So while it would be cool to gain outside readability, I think it would lack vibrant colors required for gaming.

personally, i would like to see a retro-gaming open smartphone, something like Neo900 meets GCW-zero/OpenPandora, in a small form factor.

screenshot.png

 Tadaaa:

 
Personally, the shape/look of that thing doesn't really engage my imagination. Where are the four crossed buttons? Why cartridges?

 

[DrHAX]

OMFG thats the ngage! Omg. Thare utterly hilarious.

 

[TrashyMG]

Personally, the shape/look of that thing doesn't really engage my imagination. Where are the four crossed buttons? Why cartridges?

It was different time 12 years ago...


And we laughed at it back then too.

 

[Grench]

The ngage was a design train wreck.  However, the concept of mobile gaming on a cell phone wasn't exactly a failure.

 

[rygD]

However, the concept of mobile gaming on a cell phone wasn't exactly a failure.

Too true.  I wonder if things like facebook, twitter and the web, plus "better" games are the real reasons smartfones are so popular now.  I can think of no other real benefit over older devices.  Maybe video, but that usually requires streaming (actually, facebook, twitter, youtube and such really sorta fall under web).