[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hXgwTRqwRU&w=580]
Hanging out at one side of the Atmel booth at Maker Faire was [Pamungkas Sumasta] who was showing off his Arduino cellphone called Phoenard. We really like the form-factor but its hackability is where it really shines. [Sumasta] showed off the menu system which is quite snappy and makes it simple for you to add your own applications. Software isn’t the only thing you can customize, as there’s a connector at the bottom of the phone. He showed off a breadboard attachment which was hosting LEDs of various colors. Their intensity can be altered using a simple slider app on the touchscreen. But there’s more power if want it. Also on exhibit was a self-balancing robot body which has a connector at the top for the phone.
[Sumasta] won the Atmel Hero contest and we assume that’s how he made it all the way to San Francisco from The Netherlands for Maker Faire. You can learn a few more technical details about Phoenard on the Facebook page.
This is actually hella cool, and I’m kind of amazed at how snappy that UI looks.
Normally I’m not a fan of most Arduino posts because most the things people make out of them seem really uncreative but this is legit. Awesome.
Pretty neat. Curious what features does that thing has.
Well thanks, Bro!
The Phoenard on that video features:
– AVR ATMEGA2560 (Arduino Mega)
– 2.8″ TFT LCD + Touch Panel
– USB-to-Serial on board
– Quad band GSM
– GPS
– Bluetooth low energy 4.0
– MP3 & MIDI Decoder
– Accelerometer
– Gyro
– Magnetometer
– MicroSD
And guess what?! it’s all for under $150 this October/November.
With a bit of extra money, you can get it in a kit with WIFI and NFC On-Board-Extension!
This is a really cool project, I’d love to get my hands on one of these to play with.
(also, “But there’s more power if want it.” I think this sentence is missing a pronoun)
Saw this at maker faire too it was awesome! I really like the case design. Also what better way to try and keep NSA on their toes than rolling your own phone. :)
Thanks Kevin! Was nice to meeting you there also with the cool little arduboy, wish you had more time there.. haha yeah couldn’t agree more, screw NSA :D
Sorry to be that guy, but there is at least another 2 computers on that phone, running closed source (NDA-protected or worse) software, connected to the GSM network and accepting commands from it.
Maybe would be nice a physical “disconnect” switch for all the inputs (mic, GPS, …), and a physical volume/disconnect for the speaker. That way NSA would be able to track where you are but not to hear anything. I guess.
You just took it so seriously, we didn’t mean the real thing. But all you said was true though :) Can always add physical switch to the inputs, but well,, when calling, all switch should be closed & it will be connected to network anyway and can’t really do much anymore..
If you cut the telecom module’s power, that should shut up it’s yakking to the NSA. Assuming they aren’t hiding batteries in there. You could check, if you wanted to spend the money on taking one apart. If you’re really paranoid, disconnect the power, then stick it in a Faraday cage, with an antenna wired up to some RF-detecting hardware.
I’d be surprised if the NSA would pay to add more than the hardware already included in a phone, the back door stuff is all software. Extra stuff would need paying for, and the manufacturers wouldn’t cough up the money either. Specially if they’re Chinese.
Haha yeahh, if you cut the module’s power definitely should shut up it’s yakking to the NSA, but then you can’t call it a phone anymore.. Since nobody can contact you.. And that uses SIM908 Modules btw, yes, that is Chinese :)
Damn sharp project. Congratulations.
It looks like I already know what my birthday present will be come November.
Wow, really excellent work.
That is awesome. :-)
What about the battery life?
Thanks!
Well the one on the video uses 950mAh battery, but we haven’t really conduct a battery life test when all peripherals are in sleep mode.. But we expect it (based on calculations) can stand up to several days even week(s).
Or if it doesn’t satisfy. simply you can grab battery with bigger capacity, put it on the back and get longer life :)
There are some quite attractive, hand-sized 12V gel-cell lead-acid batteries you can get, complete with slide-on + and – tags on the top. A nice option if you’re going camping with your phone or something. You could bring back the bag-phone.
Really? I’m curious,, How thick is that.. any links?
Just the standard ones from Maplin etc. Made by Yuasa, little grey-box black-lid lead-acid batteries…
http://www.batterymasters.co.uk/Catalog-Sealed-Lead-Acid-Batteries_118.aspx
Here’s some I googled, no idea if they’re good or not. Yuasa’s a brand that’s been going a good long while now. Have a look round, then ones I was thinking of were maybe 4cm thick. There may well be smaller, and other brands. Obviously they weigh a ton, being lead. But they’re just so cute and adorable, in a strange way that only lead-acid batteries can be!
Also, of course, they do 6V. And even 2V, but the 2V is limited to I think only one size option. 6V is also available in less size options than the 12V ones are.