Cell Phone.

[keaft]

Someone a while ago suggested to make the Pandora a cell phone. This would be an.. interesting idea. The fact of the matter being that cell phone companies probably wouldn't support it. But little do they know were an open source operation. We find ways around these things.

This thread is educational. Most of you already know so therefore it isn't for you.

Texting is possible on the Pandora right out of the box. Through Gmails SMS system all you have to have is a Gmail account and some Wifi.

This is as far as i have found the only way to communicate freely from the Pandora to a cell phone.
Another way to go from Pandora to Cell phone is to use VOIP. These usually cost money. I found one that would let you do it for free to anywhere.....for 1 minute.

So so far the only thing I've found for free is that texting.

If anyone would like to add some incite to this madness.. be my guest.

 

[mali]

<snip >

 

[kloplop321]

interesting, texting would already be supported obviously, but wifi is not everywhere.

 

[cameroncros]

If there were some kind of phone on an sd card that would excellent. Seems from a short google that there is no such thing. Shame. If they can fit wifi on an sd card why not a phone. Thats my 2c anyway

 

[kin]

A very very interesting option... I'm not a hardware or mobile phone guy but might be possible with a simcard reader?

Hopefully someone will manage to simulate a cellphone and make drivers for that reader... but then I don't know what the restrictions are in mobile OS terms.


Hmmm those readers are bulky...

 

[Polossatik]

If the idea is to turn the Pandora itself into a GSM/mobile by adding a gsm module (= not a phone but the actual gsm driver chip) then this is not possible for several reasons:

* Mobile carriers pose severe restrictions on what can use their network to avoid any hacking. They have to be certified.If you need more background then check out http://wiki.openmoko.org/wiki/Main_Page , this opensource mobile phone has everything opesourced except the actual GSM stack, this is apparently not possible due FCC regulations (= mobile carriers don't want this).

* You cannot "simulate" a Mobile phone using a sim card reader or so. you need a hardware RF part to transmit/recieve signals.

* AFIAK there are also no standalone usb RF boards/GSm modules you can use (there are chips like the TI Calypso GSM chipset). (note the difference between the "gsm module" itself and things like a 3g dongle - the dongle has the GSM module but is only interfaced trough the firmware *on* the dongle, and that firware on the dongle is the actual "driver" - and defines what this thing can and cannot do.)

If you are talking about sending sms/text messages or making calls trough other means then this has nothing to do with "cell phone" seen you will need a other kind of network (Wifi(max), ethernet , Mobile 3g dongle, whatever) available and then use something like VOIP or a website like google to do the stuff. But this has as such nothing to do with a mobile (GSM) phone.

NOTE: All above is pure IMHO and I don't work in the Mobile business, so I can be wrong...

On an personal level I never got the idea of all those "all in one" smartphones, I need a mobile/gsm to be optimised to make a *call* and this needs to have a excellent battery life. Hence a separated GSM/mobile is fine, if I need to acces it (to send sms from a device with a keyboard or use the mobile as internet connection) I simply pair it with bluetooth to the bigger device.

 

[kin]

Lol... my nokia 6300 is pretty flat if you remove the casing...

If lucky, one can mod the screen and panel into the back of the pandora screen if theres space left. You dont even need to open the clamshell to answer or call someone!.

 

[valhalla]

If the idea is to turn the Pandora itself into a GSM/mobile by adding a gsm module (= not a phone but the actual gsm driver chip) then this is not possible for several reasons:

* Mobile carriers pose severe restrictions on what can use their network to avoid any hacking. They have to be certified.If you need more background then check out http://wiki.openmoko.org/wiki/Main_Page , this opensource mobile phone has everything opesourced except the actual GSM stack, this is apparently not possible due FCC regulations (= mobile carriers don't want this).



actually, on the freerunner there is a GSM chip with a firmware that manages everything that must be restricted and FCC regulated; to the system it's just a serial modem

There is nothing to prevent a similar chip+firmware in an SD card or an USB dongle, except probably market reasons (who would use it? smartphones already have it, and even netbooks are too big to be used as a phone)

 

[tristan.clark]

You could use VOIP (such as Skype for example) from a wi-fi hotspot or via a GSM USB modem stick. Drivers and software would need to be ported, as ever. Not sure how reliable this would be.

A smart phone might be better for you if you really need to make phone calls though. Some phones allow you to route calls over Skype too (bet there are restrictions on that, never looked into it).

 

[Vorporeal]

Chances are that we won't get Skype on the Pandora, so some other, open-source alternative would be necessary for VOIP.

 

[mali]

On the other hand, chances are that someone makes Maemo's Skype work on Pandora.

 

[Svartalf]

Chances are that we won't get Skype on the Pandora, so some other, open-source alternative would be necessary for VOIP.

Gizmo provides both in and outbound dial over SIP for any SIP compliant device (they provide a client that makes things a bit easier to use, but you don't have to use their stuff...). All one would need is a SIP phone (easy task that, there's some even in the Angstrom stuff...) to get most of what you'd be looking for in Skype.

 

[salasq]

On the other hand, chances are that someone makes Maemo's Skype work on Pandora.

Or that someone plain ports Skype to Pandora.

 

[CandidStan]

I just love how this forum laughs in the faces of an idea like this already discussed and started by another member, while someone else posts it, and everyone thinks it's a good idea and starts to get a project going.

There is no easy way to get the Pandora to read a SIM and use it to make and receive, as it has been discussed before, those SIM readers are for reading and writing only of phone contacts.

 

[mali]

On the other hand, chances are that someone makes Maemo's Skype work on Pandora.

Or that someone plain ports Skype to Pandora.

It's closed source, unfortunately.

 

[Drack]

VoIP over wifi, with a phone number? Sure. Just use a SIP-compliant VoIP service that gives you a phone number (these are not free), and a linux VoIP app like Ekiga.

Voice over a cell network using a usb GSM/CDMA modem and the internet coverage of your plan? No. The contracts specifically disallow VoIP on the internet service. Check your provider, but chances are a snowball's in hell.

Use the SIM card from your current phone and a GSM modem to use your voice service? Not just no, but HELL NO. The GSM modems on the market are for internet coverage only. You need a licensed device to transmit on the voice network, and this is simply not possible for Pandora. If you want an open phone you can do this with, look for OpenMoko on the Neo FreeRunner. Even that one has closed drivers for the GSM stuff though. Plainly put, the networks will NOT give pandora (which doesn't even HAVE a modem or SIM card reader unless you stick a USB one in) its blessing.

Bottom line: Stick to wifi and be happy with it.

 

[rokdcasbah]

Is gmail's SMS feature something special or do they just use the email gateways that the cell companies have provided since forever?

 

[keaft]

lol my sarcasm detector is borkon.

If you are being sarcastic:

This thread is educational. Most of you already know so therefore it isn't for you.

If you aren't being sarcastic:
I'm really not sure how Gmail does it. But it would definatly make sence to use the email gateways. That would just mean that you have an all-in-one, email/chat/sms/voice-chat/whatever else gmail does. I know that i will prefer gmail to text. Brb I gtg shrpn my txtng sklz.

 

[salasq]

Or that someone plain ports Skype to Pandora.

It's closed source, unfortunately.

Ofc it is. I doubt, though, that none of their devs pre-ordered one.

Or we'll have to wait for the inevitable ARM port for Ubuntu.

 

[OrR]

I think a Pandora variant with GSM module might be worth thinking about. Openmoko would probably be happy to help select a chip and provide software components. On the other hand, the Pandora's power management would probably need serious redesign and other things (audio?) might not work as they are. You could probably only use it with a headset, too, so the usefulness would be somewhat limited. Still, I don't think it's something that should be completely abandoned, maybe it will work out for the Pandora's successor if it's included early in the planning.