Some personal stuff - and prototypes building!

[Grench]

I hope its spring 2020 or earlier,
My mobile phone is slowly dying on me.
The charging connector has contact problems after 17 years, so I have to take out & charge the battery external once a week.

It would be sad when I would have to buy a new phone that short before the Pyra gets released.

I have gone through that very same dilemma three times over. Since then I have bought:
Samsung's Galaxy Note 3
Planet Computers Gemini
LG V35 ThinQ
And I have a pre-order in on a Planet Computers Cosmo.

In the meantime, I have switched mobile carriers twice. At some point I rather gave up on the Pyra being my 'next primary phone', though I am still looking forward to it being my data connected mobile gaming/recreation device.

 

[CrystalGamma]

I hope its spring 2020 or earlier, […] It would be sad when I would have to buy a new phone that short before the Pyra gets released.

I have been in this situation for about a year now …
Personally I think if the Pyra doesn't come out this year it'll never come out because money for development will run out (though I have no special insight into the project's financials – I'm just infering from ED's statements here), so I personally hope for sometime in Q3.

 

[TrashyMG]

I have been in this situation for about a year now …
Personally I think if the Pyra doesn't come out this year it'll never come out because money for development will run out (though I have no special insight into the project's financials – I'm just infering from ED's statements here), so I personally hope for sometime in Q3.

Pre-orderers have already paid a good chunk of the money already, favorable amount of sales from ED's shop Dragonbox.de has also helped keep the project alive too.

 

[NetBLOKS]

I have gone through that very same dilemma three times over. Since then I have bought:
Samsung's Galaxy Note 3
Planet Computers Gemini
LG V35 ThinQ
And I have a pre-order in on a Planet Computers Cosmo.

In the meantime, I have switched mobile carriers twice. At some point I rather gave up on the Pyra being my 'next primary phone', though I am still looking forward to it being my data connected mobile gaming/recreation device.

It`s pretty much the same for me:
Note3 -> Note Edge -> Gemini PDA -> Cosmo Communicator
But still I am very exited for a real Linux mobile desktop system for my daily administrational needs.
And since a second SIM card on the same contract is nearly free, I will use the LTE modem on the Pyra too when I am on the go.
The Gemini gets more and more unstable, software and hardware wise, so if the Pyra will get the desired phone funktion, even rudementary, it will be a great backup as a "primary" phone.

 

[CrystalGamma]

Pre-orderers have already paid a good chunk of the money already, favorable amount of sales from ED's shop Dragonbox.de has also helped keep the project alive too.

Of course they have (I'm one of them – number 140-something IIRC) … I'm just worried how long that money is going to last, if development is to drag on a lot longer …
Not to speak of the fact that the Pyra has not only a now-old SoC (hopefully an upgrade becomes available a year or so after release, hopefully with a more open-source friendly SoC like the sunxi series or the RK3288/3399 – RK3588 might be good if it gets similar support as 3399) but also to some extent "outdated" connectors (one could argue that the market is moving towards USB-C over microUSB3-A for example).

 

[TrashyMG]

There isn't much Development left to pay for, PCBs are essentially finalized, some tweaks to cases that it. from what I understand all the components to populate the PCB are ordered already. It just needs ED to give the green light. Software development is essentially all volunteer work done by people here.

I suppose Allwinner and RockChip are more open, but they like to violate GPL at any given chance.

 

[matzesu]

While I waited, I bought this IPhone XR,
I know Apple is worse than Hitler, but at least it can’t lost its Android License..
Also i need something to make Pictures of my Pyra

My big Plan for the Pyra wasn’t to use it as my Phone, more like my Main PC

It’s Number 28 EU Celluar 4GB (the best or nothing (like the Slogan from Mercedes))

 

[CrystalGamma]

I suppose Allwinner and RockChip are more open, but they like to violate GPL at any given chance.

Sure Allwinner the company is not very nice (hence why I said "sunxi chips", not "Allwinner SoCs"). But I wasn't aware RockChip violated the GPL regularly … do you have any links for that? (searching "rockchip gpl violation" on DuckDuckGo mainly brings up Allwinner for me …)

 

[TrashyMG]

Sure Allwinner the company is not very nice (hence why I said "sunxi chips", not "Allwinner SoCs"). But I wasn't aware RockChip violated the GPL regularly … do you have any links for that? (searching "rockchip gpl violation" on DuckDuckGo mainly brings up Allwinner for me …)

I remember some article on it, on a google search "Rockchip GPL violation" a few pages do come up, but not the specifics I saw in that article.

 

[levi]

While I waited, I bought this IPhone XR,
I know Apple is worse than Hitler, but at least it can’t lost its Android License..

If the choice were between something like a Pixel Android phone and a similarly priced (maybe second hand) iPhone, the Apple device would be my selection too. At least I know how Apple are making a profit (although less than they used to) while Google now want almost the same money for something that will spy on you. Apple's past crimes pale into insignificance against google's these days.

Personally I bought a Nokia (not Nokia) new 8110 4G, and now I read that it's been rooted and I can reflash it with something more open, and install open street map rather than having to turn on data to use google's services, but I've not yet found the time or the guts to go through with it.

 

[Grench]

Good Morning all.We found a way to use Metal spring for the Top Buttons too.Today i had sended Both Datas to create new 3D Printing samples.Also had fixed the Data of the Plastic spring button.The Button with the metal Spring will be modifed in the Mold that we allready having.The button with the plastic spring Mold needs to be created from the start (free of charge) .Both ways are correct and we will choose the best one.As soon as i have the samples i will create a video for ED and move forward PS: This information had been sended to ED just now as i type here on the same time

If the switch gets squeezed too tightly or bumped hard, does it 'bottom out' on the case plastics or all on the switch component on the circuit board?

I ask because I have this likely silly idea - replace the activator peg with a 2nd somewhat stiffer spring?

 

[levi]

The case plastic include stops for all of the buttons, ISTR.

 

[Bokkertoff]

I hope its spring 2020 or earlier,
My mobile phone is slowly dying on me.
The charging connector has contact problems after 17 years, so I have to take out & charge the battery external once a week.

It would be sad when I would have to buy a new phone that short before the Pyra gets released.

Don't hold your breath...

 

[azouls]

Good morning all
Have a beautiful week.The samples from 3D printing arrived last week. We had tested both Buttons,Metal spring and plastic. Both are working Fine. We will move forward with metal spring cause i found the correct Spring for the top buttons that gives nice and smooth movement. Right now we will move forward Recreating the mold for the buttons . Also this month i am waiting a special PC with V0 as raw matterial.It seems this month i will manage to create some Complete Samples to ED and hopefully move forward with production .In the pictures you will see Both buttons (metal and plastic Spring) .The metal spring you see (Just the spring,not the Button) now is deferend from what i had ordered today cause i found better ones for the movement

 

[Neelix]

Thanks for the update azouls. Looking good.
How does it feel to switch between the upper and lower buttons and is it comfortable to press both at once if need be? It's hard to get a sense for that from the images.

-Neelix

 

[docbroke]

Thank azouls, you are doing great work.

***
How does it feel to switch between the upper and lower buttons and is it comfortable to press both at once if need be?
***

I am interested in these questions too. Both of these buttons look too close to each other. Do they interfere with each others movement ? I mean is there any friction, especially when rapidly pressing one after another multiple times ?

 

[azouls]

Thanks for the update azouls. Looking good.
How does it feel to switch between the upper and lower buttons and is it comfortable to press both at once if need be? It's hard to get a sense for that from the images.

-Neelix

Well its completly new of what allready was.Pyra aint a gamepad Though.I can easy say that you can press both buttons at once .The feeling,movement and touch is a lot better.First game i wanna try out in Pyra is Hollow knight and if you know that game is kinda hardcore so i bet you will not have problems any more.
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Thank azouls, you are doing great work.


I am interested in these questions too. Both of these buttons look too close to each other. Do they interfere with each others movement ? I mean is there any friction, especially when rapidly pressing one after another multiple times ?

There are close to each other but there is not interference bettwen them.There is no chance of grabing eachother incase you rapidly pressing.Priority of fixing them it was not holding each other incase Rapid pressing.Distances bettween the buttons had been change and fixed.Just in case you compere Pyra with a Gamepad though .Pyra aint a gamepad.In Gamepads there is lots of space to give deferend Angle for buttons ,thats why there is big space and Big buttons between them.Also most of gamepads are using Silicone Spring something it couldnt be done in Pyra but we manage to get the same effect with metal springs .

 

[EvilDragon]

Well its completly new of what allready was.Pyra aint a gamepad Though.I can easy say that you can press both buttons at once .The feeling,movement and touch is a lot better.First game i wanna try out in Pyra is Hollow knight and if you know that game is kinda hardcore so i bet you will not have problems any more.
[doublepost=1560165557,1560163026][/doublepost]

Well, the Pyra is no x86 system, it is ARM based, so I doubt Hollow Knight will work unless someone gets the permission to port it :/

 

[azouls]

Well, the Pyra is no x86 system, it is ARM based, so I doubt Hollow Knight will work unless someone gets the permission to port it :/

GG

 

[TrashyMG]

Well there are a few methods of x86 emulation available like qemu, Exagear and the new project ptitseb is working on that allows with varying degrees of success to play x86 linux software.