Mp3 Playerability

[javaJake]

Oh no.

When the lid is closed, the controls I'd normally use are suddenly unavailable. I'd have to take the Pandora out of my pocket or whatever to skip to the next song or pause when something requires my full attention.

With this in mind, I'd be willing to pay $10 for a special headphones accessory that adds basic forward, backward, and play/pause buttons so I can quickly access such options.

If it were a fancy and the controls on the accessory send in signals to software, I'd love for it to also be able to control a headset for TeamSpeak-style voice conversations, where you decide when you are transmitting your voice. Games, such as a DDR equivilant, could even use this to pause the game. (Then again, it might just be easier to hit the Start button in the center.) Basically, I'd really enjoy it if other software besides media players could take advantage of it, though it wouldn't be completely necessary.


It's worth mentioning that this accessory isn't mission-critical, and I wouldn't fall "off my precipice" if you guys said no.

 

[Holokauston]

Hmm worst case scenario a USB cable to a small "remote" ??

 

[Nova]

I'm thinking some functions can be assigned to shoulder buttons?

 

[Holokauston]

could be but will be only two but then again

L = back one song
R = next song
L+R = pause

??

 

[Chip]

Don't forget that the power switch is a "soft" switch. It is conceivable that the software could register a quick flick of the switch as pause or resume, while holding the switch would actually shut the machine down.

 

[Holokauston]

great then listening with a closed lid wont be any problem at all

 

[sm1988]

but does anybody know if it will even function with the lid closed (ala nintendo ds without moonshell)

 

[Holokauston]

but does anybody know if it will even function with the lid closed (ala nintendo ds without moonshell)

I'm assuming that it's software controlled and software we can manipulate

 

[Chip]

but does anybody know if it will even function with the lid closed (ala nintendo ds without moonshell)

I'm assuming that it's software controlled and software we can manipulate

Correct. Sleep / suspend / shutdown modes are all controlled through software. You can make it do whatever you want when you hit the power button or close the lid - including nothing. Of course, that is assuming the guys writing the OS build that option into it.

 

[ashadocat]

could be but will be only two but then again

L = back one song
R = next song
L+R = pause

??

3: profit

 

[Pleng]

I fancy the idea of a small remote on a usb cable. Much more elegant solution than having to take the whole box out my pocket to access a few controls. The problem is, does one exist?

If not, one could perhaps start b developing a media player that has all its controlls assigned to the number pad, then using a device like this as a controller, then eventually producing a much smaller version, with the number keys replaced with graphics for the respective controls.

 

[Soulkiller]

Theres one problem that I've been thinking about with this though and that is the absense of some kind of hold switch... Most mp3 players have them along with the psp. If I'm gona close this thing and throw it into my pocket and jsut listen to music theirs no way I'm going to be able to move at all without switching songs every 3 seconds. And the soft switch could jsut as easily be set off in your pocket...

 

[Snu]

i was thinking just the L and R buttons would work fine - press L for stop, hold a couple seconds for back a song, press R for pause/play, hold a couple seconds for next song (or switch them around whatever way you want). problem i see tho, is they may be too easy to accidentally bump in your pocket.
regardless tho, any usb interface device that has drivers should be capable of being mapped to pretty much anything (its linux, remember?). some small wireless presentation mouse with a small usb adapter would be ideal i think.

 

[Pleng]

I fancy the idea of a small remote on a usb cable. Much more elegant solution than having to take the whole box out my pocket to access a few controls. The problem is, does one exist?

If not, one could perhaps start b developing a media player that has all its controlls assigned to the number pad, then using a device like this as a controller, then eventually producing a much smaller version, with the number keys replaced with graphics for the respective controls.



Slightly smaller, so probably better suited to the task is the usb calulator/keypad.

I don't know if the LCD is connected to the USB bus too? If so it could be used to display track names!

 

[javaJake]

Shoulder buttons won't work. I'd really like something on my headphones cord, as it is most convenient. iPods are already annoying in that regard: you have to take it out of hold mode, do what you're gonna do, put it back in hold, and stick it back in its pocket (and don't forget the case if you bought one of those). Yuck.

I'd really like to hear MWeston's opinion on this if he gets the chance.

 

[craigix]

We were going to make it a shoulder button tripple click to go skip to next track, the other button can be mapped as you like. But the headphone port will have the ability to use more advanced adaptors.

 

[EmuGuy]

but does anybody know if it will even function with the lid closed (ala nintendo ds without moonshell)

I'm assuming that it's software controlled and software we can manipulate

Correct. Sleep / suspend / shutdown modes are all controlled through software. You can make it do whatever you want when you hit the power button or close the lid - including nothing. Of course, that is assuming the guys writing the OS build that option into it.



Hi there. So, perhaps ideally it'll be possible to have Pandora go to sleep/hibernate when I close the lid during most apps, but maybe when mplayer (or other media app) is running, it can remain awake when closed, and the shoulder buttons, an external remote, or supported whatever, can still operate it? Depending what software, options, etc of course.

Maybe that's been discussed before, my apologies, but I think that'd be great! That's the one thing that always bugged me about the GP2X: no sleep mode, only had 'lower CPU, turn off LCD' scripts. The PSP sleeps with authority, and a 'hold' button, I think (don't own one).

I agree with the 'controls on the headphones'...I have no idea how that'd work, but it'd be slick.

 

[Gilrad]

But the headphone port will have the ability to use more advanced adaptors.

You mean what you see with lots of MP3 players and Cd players? Like, it goes audio out, to midway control nodule, to headphones?

I don't know much about the formatting to these things, would any off the shelf midway control nodule work? Or would there be one specially designed for the Pandora available for sale somewhere? Either way I don't care so long as there is a convenient, unobtrusive way to control mp3 playback while the thing is closed and inside my pocket.

edit--Also, more on the software side probably, but I think it would be best if, when the Pandora is powered on with the lid closed, it boots under an MP3 player mode of some sort, so I could go straight to listening to music without having to open the thing up, boot it up, navigate the menu, load my playlist, then close it.