Lets create the PineCom

[DrYak]

1. Hiking / GPS

I think I've already written about this elsewhere, but LoRaWAN mesh network (or other long-range digital radio) for sending text messages, and live-update each other's GPS coordinates, combined with the open-source and insanely low bitrate Codec 2 for sending push-to-talk like voice messages would be the ultimate toy for outdoor activities.

[Abishek_Muthian]

I feel a device like PineCom can help deliver remote education for the underprivileged.

During this pandemic remote education became a norm as availability of an Internet connected device is being taken for granted. But children from marginalised sections of the society from around the world weren't able to receive their online courses due to the lack of access to devices and during lockdown teachers lost track of students living in remote areas due to lack of cellular/Internet coverage.

Since major Telecom and ISPs don't bother serving in those areas, LoRAWAN setup by the NGOs or even Govt. in those locations could be the communication backbone; In that case a device like PineCom would be an immensely useful communication/computation platform.

As for the education, without proper Internet access these children can now receive educational content only through over-the-air television and radio. I think a DVB-T receiver connected to PineCom could serve as a single device for consumption of such broadcast content and can also serve as two-way communication with the teachers for clearing doubts and to submit course work via text messages.

I request you all to please check this need gap and share your feedback.

[n0p0n3]

I'm down for either this and/or a battery cover that does the same. I want these for a mesh network based cell phone like volkfi. lora isn't the greatest choice for this, but a cheap available device could be used as a testbed, maybe with enough users it could inspire mesh network based phones to become more popular, leading to a new paradigm. of course, that free us from their control and they can't have that

[bcnaz]

I feel a device like PineCom can help deliver remote education for the underprivileged.

During this pandemic remote education became a norm as availability of an Internet connected device is being taken for granted. But children from marginalised sections of the society from around the world weren't able to receive their online courses due to the lack of access to devices and during lockdown teachers lost track of students living in remote areas due to lack of cellular/Internet coverage.

Since major Telecom and ISPs don't bother serving in those areas, LoRAWAN setup by the NGOs or even Govt. in those locations could be the communication backbone; In that case a device like PineCom would be an immensely useful communication/computation platform.

As for the education, without proper Internet access these children can now receive educational content only through over-the-air television and radio. I think a DVB-T receiver connected to PineCom could serve as a single device for consumption of such broadcast content and can also serve as two-way communication with the teachers for clearing doubts and to submit course work via text messages.

I request you all to please check this need gap and share your feedback.

@Abishek_Muthian

Your idea sounds of sincere intent, but with a five inch (or smaller) screen,  perhaps this device is not the best choice.

   Though a device with the long range wireless capability to be used as a 'hot-spot' for a PineTab(s) or a Pinebook laptops
   "may" be a good low cost option..?

[tllim]

I feel a device like PineCom can help deliver remote education for the underprivileged.

During this pandemic remote education became a norm as availability of an Internet connected device is being taken for granted. But children from marginalised sections of the society from around the world weren't able to receive their online courses due to the lack of access to devices and during lockdown teachers lost track of students living in remote areas due to lack of cellular/Internet coverage.

Since major Telecom and ISPs don't bother serving in those areas, LoRAWAN setup by the NGOs or even Govt. in those locations could be the communication backbone; In that case a device like PineCom would be an immensely useful communication/computation platform.

As for the education, without proper Internet access these children can now receive educational content only through over-the-air television and radio. I think a DVB-T receiver connected to PineCom could serve as a single device for consumption of such broadcast content and can also serve as two-way communication with the teachers for clearing doubts and to submit course work via text messages.

I request you all to please check this need gap and share your feedback.

PineTab better fits for the above application.

[EternityForest]

I think the important thing here is that this is *not* going to be a phone.  The PinePhone already looks awesome, and I'm sure all kinds of mesh stuff can be added.  For this to be at it's best, it should be unique.

This could be your data logger, your calculator, your 2 way radio, your flashlight, and a new class of thing you keep on it's charger on the coffee table, as a remote for the whole house, in your toolbox for many different uses, or take along on a long expedition.

I think that one of the very best things it could possibly have is a docking connector.  So we can put it on a charger when not in use, in a durable and professional way, but also so you can mechanically connect it to add-ons, I'm a way that feels like you are only holding one device.

Any exposed pins should of course be well protected electronically, for real field use.

Preferably, a dock on the back, and two small ones on the front.  No need for video or high speed data, just SPI, power in and out (Solar charge add-ons!), and I2C.  And extra points if the mechanical interface is easy to 3D print.  I'd like to see it go together entirely magnetically, but with a screw hole for permanent attachment or bulky things.

Another excellent thing would be dual or triple 18650 batteries, and excellent software control to extend cycle life, or even to enable alternate chemistries.  As this probably won't be carried in a pocket every day, might as well use a standard battery, and give people a *lot* of power, for robotics, high power add-ons, etc.



It doesn't need anything more than just your basic cheapo cameras.  It doesn't need a ton of CPU power, or even that much RAM It really just needs modularity, swappability, a crazy long battery life, and as much connectivity as it can get.

It doesn't even need to be thin and light. 

GPS is definitely useful. Front cameras are cool, but realistically, this won't replace a phone, so it shouldn't try to.  I'd rather have NFC, infrared, or just lower cost.

This could be the real life version of the ubiquitous gadgets in every sci-fi movie. The little handheld computer that you use to defuse the bomb, reprogram your spaceship engine, and get a message out to HQ.  It could help people learn, and be a part of making scientific equipment more accessible to the public.

Connectivity is cheap, and large batteries are too.  But all the coolness disappears if you take too much inspiration from phones.  

Phones never lived up to the promise of being a platform for add-ons because there's no mechanical interface.  Smartphone based gadgets usually don't solidly connect, and feel like one device you can comfortably take with you, with the exception of FPV controllers.


I also think that whatever LoRa module is used should also have good support for plain FRS, LoRa isn't quite so good at short range, too much wasted bandwidth.



Possible add-ons that someone might like to make:

* 2 way radios, because FRS sucks. Use Opus over 250KBPs 915MHz, or WiFi

* TV remotes.  Is there any reason not to put 38khz IR TX/RX?  That's a cheap easy way to talk to Arduino type gadgets

* Multimeter/Oscilloscope/Signal generator.  They're big and bulky at the moment, but a small little addon modules would instantly give this thing a place in any toolbox

* Home automation dashboards

* Spectrum analyzers/HackRF type tools

* Laser distance measures, thermal cameras

* All the random meters and cable testers

* Calculators.  If this thing had a super long batter life, it would be a nice graphing calc

* Drone Controllers:  Just dock it into something with the analog sticks, and you've got a great screen for FPV and telemetry

* RTK GPS

* OBD tools

[KC9UDX]

Yep FRS stinks but then there's GMRS, MURS, CB, and other obvious things that no one cares to use either, so why do we need another such service? People only use FRS because you can buy a pair of radios for $5.

I'm starting to firmly form the opinion that a PinePhone already does all the things proposed here but also has phone capabilities for those who don't want to carry yet another device.

[EternityForest]

Yep FRS stinks but then there's GMRS, MURS, CB, and other obvious things that no one cares to use either, so why do we need another such service?  People only use FRS because you can buy a pair of radios for $5.

By itself we probably don't need another service all *that* much, although MURS/GMRS/CB also all suck in their own way, due to regulatory limits forbidding repeaters and the fact that they're analog.

But when the same device can also be your multimeter with an add-on, or your TV remote, or whatever else, and has a better battery life than the usually crappy FRS, it makes a lot more sense.   

Smartphones took over and replaced a large class of devices, but there's plenty of other gadgets that *could* be integrated with a convergence device, but not with phones, because it's just not a good fit.

If this really does wind up  being a "PinePhone Lite", I'm totally with you, It just shouldn't exist.   Any attempt to make this something like a phone-class device will just result in a useless old phone.

But if this is optimized at the hardware and mechanical level for all the stuff phones don't do, it could be something really special.   Hackers accumulate tons of seldom used gadgets with a crappy display and a crappy battery, and no connectivity.  Most of those things could be modular add-ons.

[KC9UDX]

But then, what would it do that a phone doesn't? That was my point. Everything suggested here seems like it should work just fine on the PinePhone with some kind of attachment, at most. This is the nice thing about "smartphones". They're universal computers.

[barray]

But then, what would it do that a phone doesn't?  That was my point.  Everything suggested here seems like it should work just fine on the PinePhone with some kind of attachment, at most.  This is the nice thing about "smartphones".  They're universal computers.

Based on this reasoning, why bother creating any device other than a phone? Why did Apply ever bother with the iPod touch when it's basically the iPhone without a cell modem?

I think the features already being discussed warrant a new device:

1. "the PineCom will not feature a modem but rather rely on WiFi, IoT LoRa and LoRaWan for communications" - A different communication model already makes this interesting.

2. "The device will also be smaller at (5” LCD panel or less)" - A different form factor.

3. As a result of being smaller and not using a cellular modem, the price point should also come down.

I guess the biggest problem in this post's comments is that it doesn't really reflect some existing device, so people generally don't see it as a viable product. I think it would be useful to think of the PineCom as Pine's version of the iPod touch, but hacker edition. The PineCom will probably be to the PinePhone what the iPod is to the iPhone.

I think such a device could be really awesome and I believe there will definitely be a market & community out there for it if the price is right (perhaps $50-$80 USD).

Honestly, for me, I want to test out whether a completely WiFi-based phone is a viable switch. Inspired by the recent pandemic situation, I would also like to look further into a mesh-based communications network for short messages.

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Also, I would like to put the idea out there of calling it the 'PinePod' (+). I think this name would really focus in the hardware/software goals.

(+) Apple surely can't own the rights to '*Pod'?