SUGGESTION: Hold mode

[Kippykip]

The PSP has a "Hold" switch where it makes the buttons do absolutely nothing as long as that switch is on. So if you're watching a movie on the side of your bed and bump the trigger buttons, you don't skip the whole movie.

It would be neat if the pyra can have some sorta option/mode like that too.

 

[ClockworkCoder]

I can see the use of a hold button when the controls are still exposed while traveling, but not convinced about the need for it in a clamshell design.

 

[Caine]

He was talking about the triggers. Those are exposed even when the unit is closed.

xmodmap can be utilized to quickly switch layouts, so at least a simple software solution can be constructed.
E.g. have a small script to toggle layouts which you launch through some key combination or one of the user-defined buttons.

 

[bzar]

Doesn't pandora have a hold switch as well? I don't think I've ever used it though

 

[Caine]

It does. Never used it either. In fact, I'm not even sure it actually does anything.

 

[Eight Bit]

I use it and it does work.

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk

 

[PowerGod]

I always used the switch on the Pandora, it was the awesomeness !! (Maybe the touchscreen was still responsive, or maybe it was fixed later, I don't remember)

 

[TrashyMG]

Yeah the Pandora hold mode, the touchscreen still worked, but it did stop key presses at least last I knew it still did.

 

[levi]

The Pyra has two usr keys. Presumably one of these could be configured to run a script that calls xmodmap and toggles the trigger function on and off.

 

[Yoyobuae]

I kinda like the HOLD switch on Pandora, prevents the screen from being waked-up while it's closed (and thus wasting battery + unnecessarily heating up).

I'm not sure, but does the SoC wake up when buttons are pressed? That's another potential reason I use the HOLD switch.

 

[FBnil]

Being a user of Rockbox (which uses the R1 and L1 to go to the other song), I use the lock very often on the Pandora...

 

[Kippykip]

I wasn't even aware the Pandora had a hold switch (never had one myself). That's good to know!

 

[Haraldur]

I asked this question some months ago. If I remember correctly, the HOLD button is missing from the Pyra as the space for it is taken up by the WiFI/CELL antenna.

Perhaps LOCK/UNLOCK could be activated by pressing some combination of shoulder buttons, though this would need to be informed by experience with carrying the Pyra in a trouser pocket -- which buttons are most commonly pressed by accident, how often, etc.. Perhaps the shoulder buttons are sufficiently stiff that accidental activation is very rare/difficult? Then nothing must be done. Assuming that the left-hand side is upmost in the pocket, maybe just ignore the right shoulder buttons when the lid is closed?

Or, just ignore the shoulder buttons completely when the lid is closed, and use some other device for control, like a smart watch, or maybe those earphones I sometimes see for sale with playback controls on them (does anyone here know how they work?).

 

[levi]

As far as I know, those microphones work by sending pulses down to microphone line. The original ones with just a play/pause button just shorted the microphone and ground lines, so I guess newer ones with full controls use the microphone bias voltage to run a small circuit which sends coded messages the same way.

I did used to have a phone that used a hard to remember series of manual codes to control media. I think it was short press=play/pause, long press=next track, double click=previous track. But that had no fancy electronics, just the old single button control, since it was the user entering the codes, not an electronic circuit.

Someone with a set of those headphones could record the signals and reverse engineer them, but people were free to do that with the Pandora, and as far as I know, nobody bothered. I'm not sure how common these headphones are - all the third party headphones I've ever bought have a single button at most.

 

[TrashyMG]

The chip used for headphone detection, also has some media control features, I'm sure it could be used somehow.

 

[Yoyobuae]

From what I've heard some of those simply have different value resistors inline with the different switches.

 

[TrashyMG]

Here are the Details on that detection switch IC:
9.3.4
Key Press Detection After a headset is inserted, the host can enable Key Press detection through the I2C registers.
This will configure the TS3A227E to detect up to 4 different keys and report when the key is pressed and released.


http://www.ti.com/lit/ds/symlink/ts3a227e.pdf

 

[Hồng Thất Công]

I wasn't even aware the Pandora had a hold switch (never had one myself). That's good to know!

It's the power button switched all the way to the left.

 

[Grench]

Since the Pyra has a lid switch (likely triggering one of two 'super' modifier) and four shoulder buttons - all modifiers themselves, shouldn't it be possible to hold none, any one or combination of the shoulder buttons while the lid is closed as triggers for different 'while closed' behaviors?

Something like:

None + LC (lid closed event) = standby mode.
L1 + LC = hold mode.
L1 + L2 + LC = audio mode where shoulders stay active for song selections
L1 + R1 + LC = turn off screen, but keep everything else active so I can watch a movie on the HDMI port without the LCD open.

2*2*2*2 = 16 states that could be selected by none or combination of shoulders while flipping the lid closed.

The reverse could also theoretically work. If I hold (or don't) X shoulder button(s) while opening the screen, take me to Y application or do Z action immediately.

That kind of fun stuff, though, is the type of stuff that should be user development projects after launch.
[doublepost=1478190488,1478189553][/doublepost]Continuation...

So, this got me thinking - which can be dangerous.

The pre-lid-opening shoulder button use version of this could go beyond simple chording of shoulder buttons prior to lid open. Not only the combination of buttons, but the order and number of taps of shoulder buttons could be considered.

Example: L1 hold then tap & release R2 twice then LO (Lid open event)

That may generate enough variation circumstances to be used as a low security but FAST entry password?

 

[Caine]

I think the button tapping patterns are a bit too much, but otherwise I really like the idea.