Prototype case and Mainboard Assembly (small video)

[EvilDragon]

Running a dialer shouldn't be a problem, that's pure software, that's possible with the current unit.


But changing the hardware is what will increase the costs a lot.

 

[Silent-Hunter]

Dialer software could be very simple, just a curses or simple GUI based thing that sits in the taskbar, brought up by left clicking on it.

 

[Grench]

I can't speak for everyone here, however it seems that those interested in the Pyra are looking for a device where there is a very small gap in the market.  Their interests seem to include a combination of real computer use and playing old games with a full keyboard and phyical controls on a pocket sized device.  They seem to be at least a bit outside of the mainstream, and find that current popular devices can be replaced or supplemented by what the Pyra/Pandora offers.  These devices are largely for a community that likes to play around outside the bounds of the typical user/consumer realm, so they are very hacker friendly devices with a lot of choices made to support the community in having options.  One of those is providing an option for the GSM module.  I have seen someone mention they want it for GPS use only.  These are the people this is for.  Some of them are really weird.

I think that identifies the audience here on the forums very nicely.

Reading the above thread gave me a tagline idea.

Pyra

More smart, less phone.

 

[PowerGod]

More smart

I can't understand anymore if this is a good or a bad thing

 

[Haraldur]

I am one of those who think of the Pyra as a do-everything device, an electronic-swiss-army-knife-type tool. I have recently acquired, second-hand, a Pandora; it has displaced by digital audio player as a pocket passenger, but is big enough to still be a significant net increase in pocket-bulge. If the similarly-sized Pyra would also allow me to evict my mobile-phone, I would be well-pleased: I hardly use my phone as a phone, but mostly for alarms, as an occasional music-player, as a pedometer, calendar & appointments etc. -- all of which the Pandora could do (except the pedometer, but the Pyra could), mayhap less conveniently, but the phone shall since I need to carry it anyway.

Why do I carry a phone? Oh, yes, to receive calls a couple of times per month, to make a call once a month or so, and to send a couple of text messages (SMS) per week. It is obvious that my usage (pay-as-you-go, so no maps either) does not really justify the possession of a dedicated, wallet-sized device, but more a phone-feature on some, more general, 'converged' device: it seems that the Pyra shall be the epitome of that kind, lacking only a camera. Phones are boring -- a useful/nagging, but unexciting, tool -- but a pocket-size Real Computer is certainly not. Why should I care if, once every couple of weeks, I should receive a phone call in some physically-awkward fashion (open clam-shell to the ear), and, indeed, frequently in the privacy of my own home? Also, I expect that the Pyra would be better for SMS than a normal phone.

Also, I must admit, I am a slight contrarian. I have never owned an Android or iOS device and do not intend to. I have owned a Nokia candybar, an LG slidey thing with stupid touch-buttons, a Sony Ericsson candybar with a semi-decent camera and, when that broke at the beginning of this year, I got a second-hand Nokia N900 so I could avoid Android & iOS, have another semi-decent camera and also see what all the fuss around the N900 five years ago was about (interesting device, had my non-phone non-administrative attention for a few hours until I concluded that playing DOOM on it, with the tiny buttons, was a bit disappointing -- the Pandora is much better: I am playing Heretic, so much fun!).

Honestly, I think that if cellular networks had been invented last year, then the average sensible person would just get a phone-module for their (increasingly tiny) netbook. The tiny-touch-slab form-factor for smartphones is laughable -- how the hell is anything achieved?

 

[johhnycomelately]

I guess if someone hacked the display of the pyra to bypass the rotator chip to drive in parallel an alibaba screen tacked onto the top half with bubble gum and duck tape so that when the clamshell is closed a live screensaver masquerading as a (fuhctional)dialer app is displayed from said alibaba screen to provide for a phone mode that would make macgyver proud...that would work?

 

[TrashyMG]

@Guest_johhnycomelately_* or as your IP address indicates Uhimhere.... 
 

Stop trolling, you know very well the capabilities of this device, you are just being annoying for annoying sake.

 

[johhnycomelately]

uhh im being serious about the screen thing... wouldnt thst work? Since all the off the shelf screens are portrait just run parallel lines to the lcd and the set up a dialer embedded in a screensaver? yeah maybe not the gum and ducktape but the theory is sound no?

 

[Haraldur]

I guess if someone hacked the display of the pyra to bypass the rotator chip to drive in parallel an alibaba screen tacked onto the top half with bubble gum and duck tape so that when the clamshell is closed a live screensaver masquerading as a (fuhctional)dialer app is displayed from said alibaba screen to provide for a phone mode that would make macgyver proud...that would work?

Does it matter? Opening the Pyra to see the screen would take less than a second, with a second already spent (probably) to take the device out of the pocket (I have not, yet, worked out a Pandora quick-draw scheme -- has anyone?). If one wanted a really slick notification system, one would need some sort of wristwatch deal, as those with their large, unwieldy phablets now discover (and purchase!).

 

[TrashyMG]

uhh im being serious about the screen thing... wouldnt thst work? Since all the off the shelf screens are portrait just run parallel lines to the lcd and the set up a dialer embedded in a screensaver? yeah maybe not the gum and ducktape but the theory is sound no?

No it wouldn't just like how you can't shove a raspberry Pi into a Pandora case or the thousand other stupid ideas you spew on IRC just to annoy people. Bad enough we had to ban a good section of Malaysia to block you from the IRC channels.

 

[johhnycomelately]

P

These devices are largely for a community that likes to play around outside the bounds of the typical user/consumer realm, so they are very hacker friendly devices with a lot of choices made to support the community in having options.  One of those is providing an option for the GSM module.  I have seen someone mention they want it for GPS use only.  These are the people this is for.  Some of them are really weird.

 

[Silent-Hunter]

I essenially only need this to be phone every once in a while. Most of the time I will be using it for texting. But I do need to be able to phone my mom sometimes. But that is outgoing, I can use minicom to do that I think,

 

[skeezix]

Astounding ED! Many design choices are great improvements over the Pandora.. I love the ability to open the face without removing the hinge.. genius! The shoulders are nice, etc.

Really well done!

 

[Xcl4m4t10n]

Can we have a little example of the speakers?

 

[EvilDragon]

I think the N900 has a smaller version of that speaker inside.

 

[comradekingu]

I guess if someone hacked the display of the pyra to bypass the rotator chip to drive in parallel an alibaba screen tacked onto the top half with bubble gum and duck tape so that when the clamshell is closed a live screensaver masquerading as a (fuhctional)dialer app is displayed from said alibaba screen to provide for a phone mode that would make macgyver proud...that would work?

Why dont you just https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/nextion-a-cost-effective-high-performance-tft-hmior similar.

3D print a new lid cover or holder, le programming, and you are done.

 

[Grench]

I think the N900 has a smaller version of that speaker inside.

I think the request may have been to assemble the case with speakers and crank up some music?

The 3D printed case likely will resonate differently than an injection molded one, but people do like spectacle.

You're making fantastic progress on the Pyra.  Keep up the good work!

 

[Ligachamp]

What are those two MicroSD Slots drawn on the "backside" of the CPU Board?

 

[TrashyMG]

What are those two MicroSD Slots drawn on the "backside" of the CPU Board?

Well there is the MicroSD/SIM card socket. Are you talking about the boxes near where the shoulder buttons would be? If so, then I think you are talking about the outline of were the speakers are going to nest. And that Is the top of the board, as the keymat is on that side.

 

[Neelix]

What are those two MicroSD Slots drawn on the "backside" of the CPU Board?

Well there is the MicroSD/SIM card socket. Are you talking about the boxes near where the shoulder buttons would be? If so, then I think you are talking about the outline of were the speakers are going to nest. And that Is the top of the board, as the keymat is on that side.

No, if you look at the back of the CPU board as shown at around 8:35 in the video, there are two outlines with a line of contacts in each that look vaguely like microSD cards. One is vertically orientated just under the USB port, and the other is horizontally orientated just across from the SIM slot. I was wondering what they were myself.
- Neelix