IRDA Keyboard Driver Developed For Nokia 3650

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IRDA Keyboard Driver Developed For Nokia 3650

Posted by timothy on Monday December 29, 2003 @01:45PM from the bits-that-make-other-bits-work dept.

gletham writes "This article gives details of a nifty project where the developer shares his story of the development of an IrDA keyboard driver packaged for the Nokia 3650 phone. It supports the Pocketop and the Palm Wireless Keyboard. Source code is available for download and even better, the driver has also been ported to the P800 as well... very cool!"

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Yawn by Phexro · 2003-12-29 14:01 · Score: 4, Insightful

Wake me up when they have a Bluetooth keyboard driver.

I guess this is neat from a purely technical standpoint, but it doesn't seem too practical to me; the 3650's IR port is on it's left side, which means that any kind of IR keyboard would be pretty tough to use. BT seems like a much more useful technology in this application.
1. Re:Yawn by Fat+Cow · 2003-12-29 14:29 · Score: 1
  
  wake me up when they have a bluetooth THUMB-BOARD, let alone the driver.
  
  --
  stay frosty and alert
2. Re:Yawn by Kris_J · 2003-12-29 15:16 · Score: 1
  
  I second that, given that my N-Gage doesn't have IR. And particularly now that I have an SSH client for it (Don't laugh, I've already used it for work).
3. Re:Yawn by Phexro · 2003-12-29 15:58 · Score: 1
  
  Where? I looked for a SSH client when I got my 3650, but couldn't find one.
4. Re:Yawn by Kris_J · 2003-12-29 16:10 · Score: 1
  
  http://sourceforge.net/projects/s2putty/
  It's new.
5. Re:Yawn by jshare · 2003-12-29 16:33 · Score: 1
  
  I can't get putty to work. It installs fine on my 3650, and is able to connect to GPRS fine (or, I assume that's what it's doing when it says "Connection Created"), but then does nothing. After a bit, I get:
  
  An operation timed out.(TimedOut)
  
  I'm in San Francisco, with TMobile as my carrier, if that sheds any light....
  Thanks.
6. Re:Yawn by Kris_J · 2003-12-29 17:17 · Score: 1
  
  Can't help sorry, I'm down in Australia with Optus. What I'd really like is to be able to access the Web Server I recently installed. Works with the local loopback, but the IP I get handed when I connect over GPRS doesn't appear to be browsable from a normal PC.
7. Re:Yawn by Unominous+Coward · 2003-12-29 21:26 · Score: 1
  
  I'm also with Optus... Do you know whether Optus charges a connection fee for GPRS, like Telstra? Or do you only get billed for the data you use?
  
  I may tolerate the exorbitant data charges if there is no connection fee. Otherwise, I may as well use WAP or *god-forbid* GSM data. Who knows, either of those may turn out cheaper than GPRS.
  
  --
  "Smoking helps you lose weight - one lung at a time" -- A. E. Neumann
8. Re:Yawn by Kris_J · 2003-12-30 01:08 · Score: 1
  
  I believe there's a 20-cent (or so) "flag fall" on top of the 2cent/k charges. However, there's a $9.50 cap until you download over 2Mbytes, regardless of how many connections (or for at least a couple of hundred connections).
9. Re:Yawn by Unominous+Coward · 2003-12-30 01:58 · Score: 1
  
  There goes any possible hope of using SMS over IP over GPRS to save money (which I always thought would be neat).
  
  How long can you maintain an active connection?
  
  I still can't help but wonder what will happen when data charges fall, and people start making VoIPoGPRS calls...
  
  --
  "Smoking helps you lose weight - one lung at a time" -- A. E. Neumann
10. Re:Yawn by Wooky_linuxer · 2003-12-30 09:13 · Score: 1
  
  possibly some clever mirror (physical, glass mirror) arrangement can solve this.
  
  --
  Where is that guy who'd die defending what I had to say when I need him?
11. Re:Yawn by Phexro · 2003-12-30 09:47 · Score: 1
  
  I believe that some carriers heavliy filter their GPRS connections.
  
  this seems to indicate that T-M blocks outbound SSH. Tough break.
12. Re:Yawn by Kris_J · 2003-12-30 10:01 · Score: 1
  
  But you'd still need to pay SMS gateway charges. Better to just switch to IM.
13. Re:Yawn by Unominous+Coward · 2003-12-30 14:29 · Score: 1
  
  Not if you use free SMS gateways like the one built into ICQ. Switching solely to IM would only be possible if everyone's phone could run an IM client.
  
  --
  "Smoking helps you lose weight - one lung at a time" -- A. E. Neumann
14. Re:Yawn by Kris_J · 2003-12-30 15:17 · Score: 1
  
  Fair enough. I didn't realise any of those worked in Australia. BTW, there is a second billing option (I just switched to it): .55cents (yes, just over half a cent) per k up to $55, then cheaper up to $100-something. No flag-fall, no cap.
15. Re:Yawn by Unominous+Coward · 2003-12-30 16:54 · Score: 1
  
  0.55c per kB seems like a pretty good deal. To send an SMS, all you'd have to do is run a recent version of ICQ on a late model mobile.
  
  160 characters per SMS, assuming 1 Byte per character plus one or two kB to connect to ICQ and overhead makes for a pretty cheap SMS. A few cents at most.
  
  --
  "Smoking helps you lose weight - one lung at a time" -- A. E. Neumann
16. Re:Yawn by Kris_J · 2003-12-30 18:01 · Score: 1
  
  For a Series 60, do you recommend the 1st-party solution, or a 3rd-party app?
17. Re:Yawn by jshare · 2003-12-30 18:50 · Score: 1
  
  You are the man!
  Apparently, their WAP gateway does indeed block ssh (and god knows what else). I was already paying for the Tmobile Unlimited Internet package. When I called in to find out if there was a different access point I should be using, there was.
  I think he (the tech support guy) did something to activate "Tmobile Unlimited Internet VPN", "on [my] SIM", and then gave me the info for a new access point.
  Now when I try to connect with Putty, it goes through!
  Thank you, slashdot! (Ok, Phexro, specifically)
18. Re:Yawn by Unominous+Coward · 2003-12-30 19:13 · Score: 1
  
  I'm sorry, but I can't help you with the software. I have a Nokia 3310 myself, and won't be upgrading until it breaks, or I find a phone with a must-have feature.
  
  I remember seeing an IM client running on a late model Nokia. I suggest you do a search on slashdot.
  
  --
  "Smoking helps you lose weight - one lung at a time" -- A. E. Neumann
19. Re:Yawn by Anonymous Coward · 2003-12-31 05:17 · Score: 0
  
  The Targus Universal Wireless IR Keyboard, has a 210 degrees rotatable IR connector which would to the trick I think.
  
  Take a look at http://www.targus.com
20. Re:Yawn by Phexro · 2004-01-01 19:39 · Score: 1
  
  I demand an "Ask Phexro" section on /.
  
  Of course, most of my answers would be "Search Google," and "Shut up, jackass," but I'd answer every question anyways,
21. Re:Yawn by Cato · 2004-01-07 01:34 · Score: 1
  
  You are almost certainly heavily NATted when using a GPRS mobile phone (in fact almost any phone using IPv4) - this is due to the sheer number of such phones, many of which are connected at any one time. There is typically a firewall between the GPRS network and the main IP network, which will also block things such as port 80 inbound.
  
  This may also explain why another poster couldn't get SSH to work outbound.
Same problem with p800 too by MacroRex · 2003-12-29 20:36 · Score: 1

Having been frustrated with the P800's input system after using email and an ICQ client got me interested in this, but also P800's IR port is on the left side of the phone.

As the parent suggested, bluetooth should be used for this. Indeed, considering the cost of a BT module these days, why put IR on new gadgets at all?
1. Re:Same problem with p800 too by Hast · 2003-12-29 21:33 · Score: 1
  
  Because IRDA and BT are very good complementary technologies. BT has non line of sight and rather long reach (compared to IRDA). IRDA has high speed narrow arch of transmission and short range. The two can be used as benefits, eg if you try to transmit data in a room full of people with similar devices.
  
  I doubt that IRDA is a lot more expensive than BT, and they share some common codebases in any case. (For transmitting data.)
Nokia 7250i and Apple PowerBook by Sara+Chan · 2003-12-29 21:24 · Score: 0

This is a bit off topic, but.... I've got a Nokia 7250i (which has infrared and cable, but no Bluetooth). It connects fine to my laptop PC: I can use the 7250i as a modem, and be on the Internet wherever I am.
But I'd really like to replace my laptop PC with an Apple PowerBook. Nokia, however, doesn't make their software for Mac. (Seems strange--two really cool companies, whose stuff doesn't talk to each other.) Does anyone know of a way to make the 7250i work as a modem for a PowerBook?
1. Re:Nokia 7250i and Apple PowerBook by dcocos · 2003-12-30 02:51 · Score: 1
  
  You also need to be aware that the Powerbooks don't have IR and only have USB and Firewire connectors (no serial)
2. Re:Nokia 7250i and Apple PowerBook by Anonymous Coward · 2004-01-02 20:00 · Score: 0
  
  use it as a standard modem over IR, and dial *99# (if using GRPS.)
  
  You NEVER need the provider's software. You can find much much more info on Google....
3. Re:Nokia 7250i and Apple PowerBook by Anonymous Coward · 2004-01-07 07:11 · Score: 0
  
  I work in technical support for ATT Wireless and know that you don't need software to tether via IRDA(or bluetooth) to a Mac laptop. I don't know if the same holds true for other carriers but directions are available on our website @ http://www.attws.com/support or you can call in(if you're our customer)