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Help Bluetooth Keyboard for Droid - Faster Typing

mmgtony said:
Unfortunately no... the ThinkOutside Ultra-Slim(XTBT01) and the ThinkOutside Sierra are HID keyboards. The KeyPro driver is a [SPP] driver.

Here is a key anyway if you still want to give it a try: 25-1334-0B
Click to expand...

Yeah, it finds it in the scan just fine but won't connect after you save and back out. Thanks though, it was worth attempting. Right now the only thing I can use the keyboard with is my PS3.

I guess I just have to wait and see if bluetooth HID support gets added.

Funny how I bought this all those years ago to use with my phone and I have yet to own a phone it will actually work with.

Life is hilariously cruel.
 
In the event that anyone else is looking to see if this works... I bought a Freedom Pro Keyboard (Dual SPP/HID Bluetooth) and got it to work with my Droid thanks to the KeyPro software. The pairing process took me a little while the first time through as the keyboard was a bit touchy to actually broadcast itself in discovery mode.

Most of the keys map to what they should except:

- I can't seem to find a way to bring up the secondary menu.
- Pressing return in Dolphin Browser won't actually click the link.

It would be great if some of the programmable keys could be setup in the software (KeyPro) - here's hoping to a future add-on.

Great work to the developer though - really enjoy the fact that I now have a mini netbook with me I can bang out long documents if needed.
 
ctlongley - I also have the Freedom Pro Keyboard but been unable to connect with the Droid. It will pair but not connect. Might have an issue with the keyboards address or perhaps my SPP switch doesn't work. I can use the keyboard in the HID mode with my xp home computer but that is not why I purchased it. Do you have any thoughts. How did you get the device address? I am thinking about sending the keyboard back.- Roylive
 
roylive said:
ctlongley - I also have the Freedom Pro Keyboard but been unable to connect with the Droid. It will pair but not connect. Might have an issue with the keyboards address or perhaps my SPP switch doesn't work. I can use the keyboard in the HID mode with my xp home computer but that is not why I purchased it. Do you have any thoughts. How did you get the device address? I am thinking about sending the keyboard back.- Roylive
Click to expand...

Roylive,

I have pulled the instructions from the developer's website to make this a complete posting. Where I made slight modifications to work with my Droid and Freedom Pro I have posted in brackets {} and used italics. I used the following steps to enable the keyboard:

Installation:
Download KeyPro from the Android Marketplace


Configuration:

Open Android
 
I still can't get it to connect to Droid - when you have the keyboard in SPP mode does the light blink continuously. Mine blinks fast 5 or six times and then goes out. I was able to discover my MAC but the keyboard still will not connect. I tried switching between SPP and HID as you mentioned but didn't help. Any other thoughts - Roylive
 
I have a Dell folding BT keyboard that I used with a PDA for a while. Works well, folds up nicely. I have been thinking about throwing it on eBay for a while, but don't figure I'd get more than about $30 for it.
 
MotoDroidHelpandInfo said:
If press is no problem then look at this ThinkGeek :: Bluetooth Laser Virtual Keyboard. Expensive but effective, also has a big wow factor.
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Hi Everyone,

Was running more test on the i.Tech Virtual Keyboard just now. This is the only keyboard I was having problems with connection so far.

Yeah I know I should be spending time with the wife and daughter this New Years Eve. They ran out for some last minute ingredients for the festivities later this evening so i sneak some time.

Anyway, for those who want to use the i.Tech Virtual keyboard, I got it to connect and I'm typing on it right now.

I'll have to figure out the exact sequence and post it later.

standby...

Happy New Years to you all.
 
Well it finally worked and I need a registration password. Again my keyboard address is 00:18:00:0b:00:f4

Many thanks to ctlongley and mmgtony for their help in getting me up. Don't really know why it started but the end result is it is working. THANKS AGAIN

Roylive
 
Glad to hear you got it to work. I wish there were an easier way, but it looks like the Bluetooth profiles and pairing process isn't quite as polished as it should be. Maybe by Android 3.0 it will be...
 
But you know I was able to pair up the droid with my bluetooth headphones and also with my xp computer real easy and I could listen to music from my droid on both - must be the freedom keyboard that is the problem. I would like to say again thanks for your help - The pairing was done in the keypro program not in the settings.
 
roylive said:
Well it finally worked and I need a registration password. Again my keyboard address is 00:18:00:0b:00:f4

Many thanks to ctlongley and mmgtony for their help in getting me up. Don't really know why it started but the end result is it is working. THANKS AGAIN

Roylive
Click to expand...


CONGRATS...... ;)

Try this key: 84-CF59-AC
 
Thanks for the key Tony, it worked great. I was curious, would an SPP compatible Bluetooth Gamepad work with your driver? I figure it essentially is just a keyboard missing buttons right?
 
mmgtony - just a question when I connected with my Freedom pro bluetooth keyboard I did it thru your ProKey program - when it says connected the keyboard works. When I go to bluetooth settings under settings,wireless & networks,bluetooth settings it shows the Freedom Pro Keyboard as paired but not connected. Apparently I only need to have bluetooth checked under settings and then I use your program to connect the keyboard with Droid. I guess I shouldn't worry about it as long as it works. This might be of interest to some who are having problems connecting. Keyboard working good Roylive
 
Tribute said:
Thanks for the key Tony, it worked great. I was curious, would an SPP compatible Bluetooth Gamepad work with your driver? I figure it essentially is just a keyboard missing buttons right?
Click to expand...

Tribute...

Yes, the KeyPro driver should/will connect to any Bluetooth device that supports the SPP profile. I say should/will because there is always the exception.

In any case KeyPro will connect but chances that these input device will be usable is slim at best. The reason being is that every input device be it keyboards, game controllers, etc. all have their own keycodes (button codes). Usually these codes do not map 1-1 or directly to the OS control codes. The resulting input from unmapped devices is just garbage.
 
roylive said:
mmgtony - just a question when I connected with my Freedom pro bluetooth keyboard I did it thru your ProKey program - when it says connected the keyboard works. When I go to bluetooth settings under settings,wireless & networks,bluetooth settings it shows the Freedom Pro Keyboard as paired but not connected. Apparently I only need to have bluetooth checked under settings and then I use your program to connect the keyboard with Droid. I guess I shouldn't worry about it as long as it works. This might be of interest to some who are having problems connecting. Keyboard working good Roylive
Click to expand...

roylive...

Good observation. In theory it is not a requirement that the keyboard be paired to your Droid when using the KeyPro driver. "I say in theory because some keyboards for example the i.Tech Virtual keyboard will only connect when paired to the Droid". Because this varies between keyboards I put this step in the procedures as a default.

Normally "with keyboard unpaired" the KeyPro\Scan\Discovery method goes out and searches for nearby devices. When the user selects a device, the Mac address is stored and KeyPro starts the connection using this stored address. KeyPro connection is different from the connection channel/service that you see in the paired-device screen. Therefore the paired device never shows connected.

One should always use KeyPro audible connection indicator or KeyPro status indicator to determine when the keyboard has connected.
 
Hi !
Just received my freedom pro keyboard today, seems to work fine, and I'd like to know if you would agree to give me a key for keypro ?
My keyboard adress : 00:18:00:0A:FE:CF
Thanks, and sorry if my english isn't perfect, I'm french^^

Btw, I'm using this keyboard with an HTC sapphire (no physical keyboard), and I bought this keyboard mainly to play emulators correctly on it (touchscreen isn't good to play emulators). But it seems the keyboard isn't recognized in the apps, but only on the home screen... Am I right ?
 
Good grief, what ever happened to plug and play?! This is totally absurd to have to mess with so much crap to make a frickin keyboard work! No wonder I've had soo much difficulty trying to get Bluetooth to work, they don't even have compatible standards! One uses hid one uses spp another, pos. Ridiculous! It should be as simple as plug the damn thing in and away you go. No wonder apple is ahead of the game...
 
Sanka31 said:
Yes, you're right, it's much simpler with the product you mentionned : They don't support those keyboards at all ! Lol
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Wait! There is a new external iphone keyboard! Here!

Looks like it is huge and you still have to have the software keyboard active and it only works on some applications.

At least with Android you know USB hid and full bluetooth are possible. I read USB HID is mostly working in 2.1.
 
I'm the Technical Manager for Freedom so might be able to clear up a few issues here (though please note some of this will be 100% my own personal opinion).

Sportster said:
Good grief, what ever happened to plug and play?! This is totally absurd to have to mess with so much crap to make a frickin keyboard work! No wonder I've had soo much difficulty trying to get Bluetooth to work, they don't even have compatible standards! One uses hid one uses spp another, pos. Ridiculous! It should be as simple as plug the damn thing in and away you go. No wonder apple is ahead of the game...
Click to expand...

Plug and play does not exist on most smart phones unless you are using the products that the manufacturer wants you to use. The problem with keyboards are that everyone is used to plugging them into their pc and them just working. Most mobile phones do not have the same support for keyboards as a PC does which is why you need driver software.

With regards to the compatible standards that's down to the phone manufacturer. A lot of phones support HID and SPP profiles (with HID being preferable). However Android and BlackBerry's dont have HID support so you have to use SPP instead. Thats why we make our keyboards as dual profile (so you can switch between the two depending on what your connecting too).

With regards to apple, they dont have SPP or HID support (or support for most of the other commonly used bluetooth profiles) and dont give us developers the tools to create the support unless the end user jail breaks their iPhone (which as a professional company we cant realistically support). Make of that what you will... :)

roylive said:
But you know I was able to pair up the droid with my bluetooth headphones and also with my xp computer real easy and I could listen to music from my droid on both - must be the freedom keyboard that is the problem. I would like to say again thanks for your help - The pairing was done in the keypro program not in the settings.
Click to expand...

Similar to the above. The Android platform has bluetooth support for A2DP (stereo bluetooth headsets) and for connecting up to a PC. It doesnt however have built in bluetooth/driver support for keyboards (either using the SPP or HID profile). This is why you need the drivers.

As technology moves forward I would like to think that phones will start to offer a wider range of hardware support. However I doubt this will ever happen mainly due to most manufacturers (which are under massive pressure from the carriers they sell to) not wanting to open pandoras box by putting potential pitfalls support issues into their system and keeping as much control over their devices as they can.

This is understandable as they are the ones that have to develop all this stuff and ,even more difficult, support it afterwards but some manufacturers take this to extremes (naming no iNames).
 
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