ubiq_uitous communication, wearable and multimedia systems

Let’s start with a simple application that will become a distributed one step by step.

Today is a good day for further usage of this wonderful device!
engadget live coverage of the iPhone 3.0 announcement session

Glad to have been at least “somewhat related” to this.

Here is the link to the most recent “iPhone uses Bluetooth keyboard video” - glad to see that everybody will be able to use this soon.

I wanted a cheap, potentially always-on and comfortably to use system for further BTnut experiments.

I already had it - a NSLU2 that runs Debian.

The Bluetooth module gets attached to the serial interface - and makes use of a connector that I originally wired for I2C experiments some years ago.

The photo has notes on Flickr.

There are various mobile devices with internal Bluetooth modules.

The Nokia N810 and Android G1 (in its developer version sold by Google) combine the benefit of having an internal Bluetooth module and being platforms where you may easily write and publish non-feature-restricted source code.

The photo has notes on Flickr.

The hardware for the vehicle is done. Remote control still to be programmed - so far it just follows a pre-programmed pattern (for an initial test).

An updated version of the “typing on the iPhone using a Bluetooth keyboard” video.

Both the keys and the display are in camera focus at the same time, iPhone is in Airplane Mode (so WLAN is intentionally off here) and it uses a simplified mechanism for key event injection (so there is no “VNC running on localhost” icon any longer).

The original posting with the old video was Apple wireless keyboard used with an iPhone

Bluetooth connectivity can flexibly be used for some interesting scenarios.

The photo has notes on Flickr.

I strongly believe that doing efficient input/output is a crucial task for a computer.

Here is just a subset of devices I worked with over time. You’ll see the collection growing.

The photos have notes on Flickr.

An (unfortunately) somewhat broken Matias halfkeyboard

Various FrogPads

A Wii Nunchuk

With just a some small additional electronics they all can be interfaced to an iPhone / iPod touch via Bluetooth.

To be continued.

The Wii Nunchuk uses I2C for communication - which makes it a nice, flexible input device. The photo has notes on Flickr.

With an adapter you do not have to cut a cable. Speeds experiments up.

I decided to benefit from the wonderful support that the PICAXE chips have for various input methods like key matrix or standard PS/2.

The PICAXE uses a very few simple instructions to translate from various variants to just a simple interface - which is I2C.

The photos have notes on Flickr.