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Any recommendations of Bluetooth keyboards for SF/Blade

Guest PeterPandroid

By Guest PeterPandroid
in ZTE Blade / Libra - Blade.MoDaCo.com

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  • 3 weeks later...
Guest PeterPandroid

Guest PeterPandroid

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Posted (edited)
apparently these are Android-compatible and look pretty neat. affordable too! :rolleyes:

'these', I'm guessing you're referring to the Nokia SU-8W ?

Anyway, an update, I spent a while with an Apple Bluetooth keyboard, no joy, Keyboard pass is 0000 if anyone else wants to give it shot but device is rejected by the SFrandroid.

An Appl'esque Bluetooth variant, perhaps?

Edited by PeterPandroid
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Guest SimonTG01

Guest SimonTG01

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Anyway, an update, I spent a while with an Apple Bluetooth keyboard, no joy, Keyboard pass is 0000 if anyone else wants to give it shot but device is rejected by the SFrandroid.

An Appl'esque Bluetooth variant, perhaps?

When you say rejected do you mean it doesn't pair or it won't show as a keyboard?

The SU-8W paired but I still needed the driver to be able to use it...

S

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Guest oh!dougal

Guest oh!dougal

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When you say rejected do you mean it doesn't pair or it won't show as a keyboard?

The SU-8W paired but I still needed the driver to be able to use it...

S

I believe Simon is referring to Bluekeyboard (which he mentioned upthread) as "the driver".

My understanding is that it is an "input method" (just like TouchPal, HTC_IME, etc). As such it adds the capability of using a Bluetooth keyboard to the SF, which like most (all?) Android phones, lacks that capability as standard. Seems that Bluekeyboard supports US and Japanese layouts - so SHOULD work with any of the standard Bluetooth 2.0 keyboards that one might find on that well-known auction site.

As regards using an Apple Bluetooth keyboard with Bluekeyboard (and thus the SF), the only thing that I would be concerned about would be that Apple's UK key layout is a bit different to a standard US PC layout (particularly regarding punctuation). IF (and I don't know for sure) Bluekeyboard is strictly expecting a US PC layout, then what you type (on an Apple UK layout) just might possibly not always be what you get. THAT (if anywhere) is where the problems might lie.

Edited by oh!dougal
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Guest SimonTG01

Guest SimonTG01

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I believe Simon is referring to Bluekeyboard (which he mentioned upthread) as "the driver".

My understanding is that it is an "input method" (just like TouchPal, HTC_IME, etc). As such it adds the capability of using a Bluetooth keyboard to the SF, which like most (all?) Android phones, lacks that capability as standard. Seems that Bluekeyboard supports US and Japanese layouts - so SHOULD work with any of the standard Bluetooth 2.0 keyboards that one might find on that well-known auction site.

Thanks for the translation, takes a while to lose the windows mobile mindset :rolleyes:

S

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Guest oh!dougal

Guest oh!dougal

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Thanks for the translation, takes a while to lose the windows mobile mindset :huh:

S

Sorry if my phrasing wasn't the best Simon, I was trying to make the point that the software you mentioned wasn't just a driver specifically for that particular Nokia keyboard. It seems to be something much more generally useful! :rolleyes:

However, PeterP might additionally need something specific - for the 'Apple UK' layout.

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Guest PeterPandroid

Guest PeterPandroid

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When you say rejected do you mean it doesn't pair or it won't show as a keyboard?

The SU-8W paired but I still needed the driver to be able to use it...

S

The SF dialog told me that the device was rejected, no suggestion of incorrect pass. Stupidly I didn't double-check it for an alternate error dialog with a random pass. I'd been reliably told of pass for the Apple BT keyboard but should have double checked. I'll pop down to the store and try again this morning.

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Guest oh!dougal

Guest oh!dougal

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The SF dialog told me that the device was rejected, no suggestion of incorrect pass. Stupidly I didn't double-check it for an alternate error dialog with a random pass. I'd been reliably told of pass for the Apple BT keyboard but should have double checked. I'll pop down to the store and try again this morning.

Have you installed Bluekeyboard, and checked its instructions?

No keyboard is likely to work without it (or something else doing the same job).

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Guest PeterPandroid

Guest PeterPandroid

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Have you installed Bluekeyboard, and checked its instructions?

No keyboard is likely to work without it (or something else doing the same job).

Yes, I installed Bluekeyboard JP from the Market but haven't seen any detailed instruction, just did the 'install now' process. No new icons have appeared so haven't managed to get its dialog up yet. Will have to check the author's site for more info.

I re-tried the Apple BT keyboard, This time I entered a random set of numbers for the pass key and noted that the SF presented a dialog clearly reporting an incorrect pass. Then entered the 0000 and after some deliberation the SF reported that it failed to connect.

I then tried a very compact Bluetooth Keyboard from Maplin, code: N03JA whose installation pamphlet unhelpfully failed to provide any PASS code but after some eye-straining to read a minute code amongst the few screenshots provided I was able to get the SF to pair with the keyboard - but not connect. Undaunted, and having installed 'Bluetooth JP', had a look to see if the keyboard would now present itself as a new 'Input Method' - It didn't.

Edit: Just found the Bluekeyboard Settings under SETTINGS / LANGUAGE AND KEYBOARD

It seems to offer the option of selecting a keyboard but since it's paired but not connected would that find the keyboard?

Looking like another trip to the PC store tomorrow morning.

Edited by PeterPandroid
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Guest oh!dougal

Guest oh!dougal

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You have to turn on Bluekeyboard before you can do ANYTHING with it.

I came across a couple of out of focus and slow-paced videos that do, at least, demonstrate what the process entails. (And that you can use an Apple Bluetooth keyboard - US layout - with Bluekeyboard/Android.)

PS - pairing the Apple BT k/b seems to involve typing the same numbers on Android and the k/b. (This requires the keyboard layout to have the number keys mapped correctly!)

Edited by oh!dougal
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Guest PeterPandroid

Guest PeterPandroid

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You have to turn on Bluekeyboard before you can do ANYTHING with it.

I came across a couple of out of focus and slow-paced videos that do, at least, demonstrate what the process entails. (And that you can use an Apple Bluetooth keyboard - US layout - with Bluekeyboard/Android.)

PS - pairing the Apple BT k/b seems to involve typing the same numbers on Android and the k/b. (This requires the keyboard layout to have the number keys mapped correctly!)

Fantastic find! Thanks. I'd never have thought have exploring YouTube for such things.

So it looks like I can make the Apple BT keyboard AND the surprisingly nice Maplin device work. Will report findings tomorrow.

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Guest oh!dougal

Guest oh!dougal

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Fantastic find! Thanks. I'd never have thought have exploring YouTube for such things.

So it looks like I can make the Apple BT keyboard AND the surprisingly nice Maplin device work. Will report findings tomorrow.

If there's likely a problem, its with the difference between US and UK key layouts, and specifically Apple's version of a UK layout (which isn't exactly the same as Microsoft's idea of a UK layout!)

If you look at those videos carefully, you will see the sideways 'return' key on the US version. All manner of keys may not give you the characters or symbols you expect. Its not just shift-3 that is different!

Note that because the Maplin device (and similar cheaper things on eBay) is based around a US layout, there ought to be no chance of problem with what-you-type not being what-you-get!

I'm thinking about getting either a phone-sized one or a full-size roll-up keyboard from eBay. The benefit being portability ...

Nice though that folding Nokia looks, half the price of the phone is way too much for my liking!

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Guest PeterPandroid

Guest PeterPandroid

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I'm thinking about getting either a phone-sized one or a full-size roll-up keyboard from eBay. The benefit being portability ...

Nice though that folding Nokia looks, half the price of the phone is way too much for my liking!

I've had a Stowaway, aka ThinkOutside aka iGo aka Dell aka various brands, folding BT Keyboard for years and a couple of YouTube vids seems to suggest it may be cajoled into a new android life too, tho' mine's at the end of its service life but been quite invaluably useful.

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Guest Broc

Guest Broc

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Is it possible to connect the Blade to a PC via usb and type out texts on a wired keyboard?

Hi. I hope this is reasonbly associated not to be a hijack. but I'm assuming some readers will know the answer to mu questiom? thanks

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Guest nilezon

Guest nilezon

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I don't think the ZTE Blade 2.1 ROM or the leaked 2.2 ROM support bluetooth HID.

If anyone gets a bluetooth keyboard working without using any third-party application, please let me know.

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Guest oh!dougal

Guest oh!dougal

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I don't think the ZTE Blade 2.1 ROM or the leaked 2.2 ROM support bluetooth HID.

If anyone gets a bluetooth keyboard working without using any third-party application, please let me know.

I believe that is the reason for the existence of this general Android (not Blade/SF specific) software category. Bluekeyboard is not the only Human Input Device 'app' .

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Guest HitTheCow

Guest HitTheCow

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Hi. I hope this is reasonbly associated not to be a hijack. but I'm assuming some readers will know the answer to mu questiom? thanks

i'm very happy with my phone explorer :rolleyes:

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