How is it as a phone?

[steppenroth]

How well does the Pyra work as a phone? What kind of software does it use? I imagine that the text messaging is superb, but how well does it handle calls? Is the only way to use it for voice calls to use a headset? Also, if we preordered as a wifi only, can we upgrade the preorder to the 4g capable device?

 

[TrashyMG]

That part is up in the air at the moment, when the software devs get prototype units there may be more development on this.. There is a built on mic so it's possible to do it without a headset, but I suspect the clam shell design would make it awkward/embarrassing to use that way.

I've upgraded the model I was ordering, I would send a request via the Dragonbox.de support request to get a hold of EvilDragon if you want to do that.

 

[Bernd]

There is a built on mic so it's possible to do it without a headset, but I suspect the clam shell design would make it awkward/embarrassing to use that way.

* More emberassing then the people using smart phones with Pyra like screen-protector cases*
* More emberassing then the people using big tablets to phone* (while holding the tablet with both hands)
* More emberassing then me, still using a Nokia 3510 monochrome?
.
.
.
If the Pyra works as phone, I'll use it.
(I ordered the 4g model because of the sensors which come with the 4G module )

 

[TrashyMG]

* More emberassing then the people using smart phones with Pyra like screen-protector cases*
* More emberassing then the people using big tablets to phone* (while holding the tablet with both hands)
* More emberassing then me, still using a Nokia 3510 monochrome?

Yes.

 

[Bernd]

May be.
But definitly not that emberassing like people with small bluetooth headsets, talkint to them selfe.

 

[TrashyMG]

 

[Silent-Hunter]

I think it looks more interesting than embarrassing. People will be wondering what phone that is.

 

[Willhelm]

* More emberassing then the people using smart phones with Pyra like screen-protector cases*
* More emberassing then the people using big tablets to phone* (while holding the tablet with both hands)
* More emberassing then me, still using a Nokia 3510 monochrome?
.
.
.
If the Pyra works as phone, I'll use it.
(I ordered the 4g model because of the sensors which come with the 4G module )

+1 for sure.

but dont miss the bluetooth 'headset':

so in one hand the pya in the other the nice thingy here

 

[TrashyMG]

But definitly not that emberassing like people with small bluetooth headsets, talkint to them selfe.

That really isn't embarrassing, just makes the person look like some jerk.

so in one hand the pya in the other the nice thingy here

Now that is a hipster solution.

 

[Willhelm]

hmmmm lets hype the pyra and open it for the hipster market



the premium edition includes this headphone WITH cord

 

[Letalis Sonus]

* More emberassing then me, still using a Nokia 3510 monochrome?

I have yet to come across a situation involving my Nokia 6110 that I'd call embarrassing...

the premium edition includes this headphone WITH cord

Now I'm just waiting for someone to sell classic headphones with a normal audio jack as some kind of hipster 'headset' thing for smartphones...

 

[Askarus]

I really don't think it'll look embarrassing.
Especially if you have long hair like me no one will see it anyways

 

[TrashyMG]

Now I'm just waiting for someone to sell classic headphones with a normal audio jack as some kind of hipster 'headset' thing for smartphones...

http://www.staples.com/Premiertek-R...gn=173943582&gclid=CKSdt9uFxdMCFV2BswodkqwL7Q

 

[ible]

looks like we need a case mod to holster an old phone on the back of the pyra.

 

[tigerroast]

That's what I wanna find out. Pyra as a phone would be so powerful.

 

[AndiTheBest]

I have started to develop an Phone-App.
I am testing it with a Huawei USB 3G modem with enabled call funcionality.
Starting and receiving calls, reading/writing SMS and import contacts via vcard already works.
The actual problem i have is that i actually dont know how to prevent the acoustic feedback (speaker->microphone loop) and how to minimize the audio output delay.

With an bluetooth headset the feedback-problem would solve itself.

 

[Grench]

http://www.staples.com/Premiertek-Retro-Handset-With-Volume-Control-For-iPhone-iPad-Black/product_IM1TC2552?cid=PS:GooglePLAs:IM1TC2552&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=IM1TC2552&KPID=IM1TC2552&cvosrc=PLA.google-SALES.Shredders, Projectors & Office Machines&cvo_crid=39357180582&cvo_campaign=173943582&gclid=CKSdt9uFxdMCFV2BswodkqwL7Q

That. Is. Awesome. I don't want one, but still - awesome.

I'm still planning to use this for Pyra calls.

https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Bluetooth-Pocket-Talker-HM5000/dp/B0057WX864

Albeit, it does look a bit goofy to see a big fat guy talking on it. I have used it with my mobile phones and it really does work pretty well. Vibrates and/or beeps on incoming calls too.

Can we please get rid of whatever the boards are using to replace web links that go to Amazon with media tags? Please?

 

[Silent-Hunter]

I have started to develop an Phone-App.
I am testing it with a Huawei USB 3G modem with enabled call funcionality.
Starting and receiving calls, reading/writing SMS and import contacts via vcard already works.
The actual problem i have is that i actually dont know how to prevent the acoustic feedback (speaker->microphone loop) and how to minimize the audio output delay.

With an bluetooth headset the feedback-problem would solve itself.

Pulseaudio may have some sort of echo cancellation plugin.

 

[levi]

Skype in Linux suffers from the same feedback problems. I'm not sure it's that worth fixing when 99.9% of real users will be using it via a headset of some kind, but it sounds like something you'd need to come up with yourself. And it sounds like quite a difficult problem to me if it needs to cope with movable speakers and microphones on different hardware. On the Pyra when the microphone and speaker locations are fixed it might be easier to cope with, just needing to detect patterns at the specified intervals and counteract them, if you can assume sound reflected off other surrounding surfaces don't need to be eliminated (which would make making calls in an echoey cave or church difficult, I guess).

Or just forget about it and insist users invest in a headset.

 

[Binky]

Do we have working DSP hardware available?
Trying to correlate and cancel realtime audio can be fairly CPU-intensive, and is much better done with special-purpose hardware - if we can talk to it...