[ale] OT: a interesting new Android 4.04 based toy to play with

Tue Dec 4 12:46:13 EST 2012

Hi Richard,

I can see how that would be confusing as I ended up talking about two tablets in the same thread.

For several months, I have had a 10" Acer Iconia A500 tablet which I like very much and use all the time.  That's a $ 300 tablet.  It had Google support from the start, including Google Market which then became Google Play, rear facing camera (great for scanning bar codes and QR codes), and bluetooth.  That's the one I use my bluetooth keyboard and bluetooth ODB2 automotive dongle with.  This is also the one I wanted to know the bluetooth keyboard shortcuts for.

A few weeks ago, I bought a 7" Uniden tablet from Big Lots for $ 60 just to experiment with.  It does not have a rear facing camera, Google support, or bluetooth.  That's the one I returned.

So, now I'm back to having just one tablet, the nicer 10" one.  The showstopper was really the lack of Google Play (modern version) since that allows me to autoupdate all applications on the device.  The bluetooth and rear camera would have been nice to have for my purposes but not essential.

For what it's worth, here's what I'd like to do with a 7" tablet.  I want to make it an auxiliary screen for my desktop computer.  That way, I could park an automatic updating weather report, weather radar display, or financial chart display, etc. on that screen without taking up real estate on my main screen.  Also, at the $ 60 price point, these things start to become practical for home automation control panels that can go in every room.

Sincerely,

Ron

Richard Bronosky <richard at bronosky.com> wrote:

>How do you claim that it doesn't have bluetooth? You were using a
>bluetooth
>keyboard with it weren't you?
>
>
>On Mon, Dec 3, 2012 at 10:46 AM, Ron Frazier (ALE) <
>atllinuxenthinfo at techstarship.com> wrote:
>
>> Hi all,
>>
>> Thanks to all who provided suggestions to help me with this cheapo
>tablet.
>>  I really wanted to like the device.  However, I cannot find an easy
>way to
>> get the latest google play store on it.  It also doesn't have
>bluetooth,
>> something which I would need to use the Torque program to monitor my
>car's
>> instruments, etc.  I don't have too much time to tinker with it just
>to get
>> it working and don't want to brick it.  So, I'm returning it to Big
>Lots.
>>  I'll save my money to get one that's authorized by google.  I found
>this
>> official list of google play supported devices.  Unfortunately, the
>really
>> cheap devices aren't generally on this list.  I appreciate all the
>help.
>>
>> http://support.google.com/**googleplay/bin/answer.py?hl=**
>>
>en&answer=1727131<http://support.google.com/googleplay/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=1727131>
>>
>> Sincerely,
>>
>> Ron
>>
>>
>> On 11/26/2012 12:16 PM, Jason van Gumster wrote:
>>
>>> "Ron Frazier
>(ALE)"<atllinuxenthinfo@**techstarship.com<atllinuxenthinfo at techstarship.com>>
>>>  wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>> Thanks for the links you sent.  I'll check out the hackers keyboard
>>>> later.
>>>> However, I'm using a physical bluetooth keyboard on this tablet. 
>When
>>>> this
>>>> is on, the on screen keyboard goes away.  It works great but it has
>no
>>>> keys
>>>> for page up, page down, home, end, cut, copy, paste.  I was
>wondering if
>>>> there were shortcuts like (ctrl-c) etc. which would work.
>>>>
>>>>
>>> Ah... I'm not aware of any, but haven't had a need to look for them
>>> either (the
>>> tablet I got doesn't have bluetooth support).
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>> I was able to use the other link to install the google market on
>this
>>>> cheap
>>>> tablet.  However, it's an older version, which has now been
>replaced by
>>>> the
>>>> google play store.  I tried installing the apk for the play store
>from my
>>>> other tablet, but the app keeps crashing.  Do you (or anyone) know
>how
>>>> to get
>>>> the newest google play store working on one of these tablets like
>the
>>>> Uniden?  The play store has some cool features like auto app
>updates
>>>> that I'd
>>>> like to take advantage of.
>>>>
>>>>
>>> Sorry, no. I haven't come across any means to get that happening.
>The
>>> Market
>>> was good enough for me and I stopped there. That said, I'm
>considering the
>>> tactic of trying out another ROM on the tablet (e.g. Cyanogen mod).
>It's
>>> a long
>>> shot that stinks of desperation, but perhaps that would remove the
>Play
>>> store's
>>> inhibitions.
>>>
>>> Apologies that I couldn't provide a more helpful (and timely)
>response...
>>>
>>>    -Jason
>>> ______________________________**_________________
>>> Ale mailing list
>>> Ale at ale.org
>>>
>http://mail.ale.org/mailman/**listinfo/ale<http://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo/ale>
>>> See JOBS, ANNOUNCE and SCHOOLS lists at
>>>
>http://mail.ale.org/mailman/**listinfo<http://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>> --
>>
>> (To whom it may concern.  My email address has changed.  Replying to
>former
>> messages prior to 03/31/12 with my personal address will go to the
>wrong
>> address.  Please send all personal correspondence to the new
>address.)
>>
>> (PS - If you email me and don't get a quick response, you might want
>to
>> call on the phone.  I get about 300 emails per day from alternate
>energy
>> mailing lists and such.  I don't always see new email messages very
>> quickly.)
>>
>> Ron Frazier
>> 770-205-9422 (O)   Leave a message.
>> linuxdude AT techstarship.com
>>
>> ______________________________**_________________
>> Ale mailing list
>> Ale at ale.org
>>
>http://mail.ale.org/mailman/**listinfo/ale<http://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo/ale>
>> See JOBS, ANNOUNCE and SCHOOLS lists at
>>
>http://mail.ale.org/mailman/**listinfo<http://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo>
>>

--

Sent from my Android Acer A500 tablet with bluetooth keyboard and K-9 Mail.
Please excuse my potential brevity.

(To whom it may concern.  My email address has changed.  Replying to former
messages prior to 03/31/12 with my personal address will go to the wrong
address.  Please send all personal correspondence to the new address.)

(PS - If you email me and don't get a quick response, you might want to
call on the phone.  I get about 300 emails per day from alternate energy
mailing lists and such.  I don't always see new email messages very quickly.)

Ron Frazier
770-205-9422 (O)   Leave a message.
linuxdude AT techstarship.com