Infrared Emitters

[ferretflip]

In the days of yore, most smartphones and PDAs had IR blasters built right in. For a long while, IR dropped off the smart device market, but now in newer generation phones, it's back!
But, it's now only known for it's universal remote control for TV's and sound systems. That's fine and dandy, but I am never satisfied with what manufacturers just hand out with their devices.
I know IR can be used for so much more, because I used to be able to unlock my car and replicate other IR signals with my old Windows Mobile devices. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like it's very popular amongst the Android crowd. I want to cause havoc in laser tag by letting off huge bursts of IR like I used to with my Blue Angel. I want to unlock my car using my phone (just to show off). I just want some niftiness to this nifty feature

TLDR: Does anyone know any nifty tricks/apps/hacks that use the IR blasters in the new generation android models?

 

[Hadron]

As far as I know there are only a couple of devices have this so far, and I don't know whether either have made APIs public. If it becomes widespread, and android itself supports it, then we'll see more.

But does your car really use IR to unlock? I've not seen that since the 90s - I thought they all used RF these days.

 

[artaxerxes]

Oh I know where you're going with this, you have old printer with IR, and you want your device to print to it.

 

[zuben el genub]

You could also sync and send stuff device to device. We used Act at the office, and could sync and send info to any Palm device. My boss used Palm, and I used Sony.

 

[SiempreTuna]

But does your car really use IR to unlock? I've not seen that since the 90s - I thought they all used RF these days.

I would hope it wouldn't work now as remote locks use coded signals these days - not always good coding: I'm looking at you, BMW - to prevent any old fob opening any old car.

If the code generation logic could be easily replicated for a phone, that would suggest it would also be pretty easy for thieves to come up with a workaround.

You could also sync and send stuff device to device. We used Act at the office, and could sync and send info to any Palm device. My boss used Palm, and I used Sony.

I used to use it to sync my old Nokias with Outlook and even for transferring podcasts to the phone. Remember being a bit peeved when it was removed, though TBH, it was a bit of a dog speed-wise. Plus, I think they stopped putting it on laptops which did restrict it's usefulness.

Also used it to transfer things like podcasts to other people's phones which used to work well, except when their phone was a BB when it refused to work at all.

 

[ferretflip]

The HTC One (and the GS4, I believe) has a built-in remote app (made by PEEL, I think) that has the ability to learn signal commands from other remotes. All you have to do is find any TV brand (hopefully there isn't a tv of that brand around you while doing this) and purposely go through and fail the test codes, after that it'll tell you to manually "learn" the codes by pointing the remote control for that tv into the IR emitter on the phone and press the corresponding button on the remote. I did this with the key fob from my 2007 Ford Escape and it learned the separate codes for unlock/lock, panic, and open lift gate. It's VERY hit and miss though, as sometimes when I go to unlock, it'll open the trunk and panic, or just not work at all. Sometimes it'll send the code twice, unlocking all the doors. Ford fobs (97-07) do use RF, which is funny how my phone learned the signals anyways. I don't really know how these signals work.

 

[SiempreTuna]

That's strange - I was under the clearly mistaken impression that the RT sent a unique (well, different anyway) signal every time you use it, which is why you have to sync the fob and the car when you replace the battery in the fob.

 

[Hadron]

That's strange - I was under the clearly mistaken impression that the RT sent a unique (well, different anyway) signal every time you use it, which is why you have to sync the fob and the car when you replace the battery in the fob.

How would that work if you have 2 fobs? Surely they'd get out of sync.

I know they code for the car, never thought there was anything more to it.