this post was submitted on 21 Sep 2023
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Technology

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Native bluetooth trackpad would be nice too.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

But now it's native! :D

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (3 children)

The fact that phones haven't been able to to this easily/natively/what have you is wild. Similarly, the fact that you can't use old tablets as external monitors without, in my experience of quite a few, significantly buggy software that's got significant lag in the best of times, is pretty wild. Sure, the technical hurdles aren't small, but damn.

I've got a reasonably high end newish tablet (Galaxy S7+) that I can use miracast to use wirelessly as an extra PC monitor. It works quite well... if I'm near to a high quality new router. But can I just plug the tablet in and use it as a monitor with my laptop? Not remotely well.

It's been a year or two, maybe I should check for new software again.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I hate that this is only just now coming in Android 14. I have old phones I would love to be able to set up as webcams for 3D print monitoring, but of course they haven't been updated in years and will never get this feature.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

This is already possible - there are apps that will let you use any android phone as an IP camera, which you can then view from any other computer or phone on the same WiFi/network

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

there are many apps that will let you do this. I use an app called IP Webcam

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Sure, I tried the same app actually, but it needing to go over the network was a pretty big drawback. This sounds like a wired connection that will be recognized as a camera by any PC.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

You can plug an iPad to a MacBook via usb c and use it as an external monitor and it works really well in my experience. Kinda makes me wonder if there isn't a patent somewhere preventing it from wider use.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

It should work wirelessly as well

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Yeah it does, but definitely not as well. I've had much better results with the USB connected directly.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Huh? It works perfectly without a wire.

It doesn't use your wifi router, it uses a direct (peer to peer) wifi connection between your computer and the tablet, which if they're next to each other (e.g. a laptop and a tablet), will be faster than USB.

If it's a tower PC under a timber desk with a crappy wifi antenna, then yeah that won't work as well as a cable. Timber is pretty effective at blocking wifi.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

My statement is based on direct experience of janky frame drops between an iPad pro and a MacBook pro sitting next to each other on the couch. I suspected some potential interference issues so I went back to USB and it was buttery smooth again. Might not match your experience but in my environment that's how it went down.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Well... this is gonna make one of the only apps I ever bought obsolete.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

The one I paid for (iVCam) works with OBS and Twitch, can do full 4K@60fps and stuff. I had never seen a free one that worked with my other apps, allowed even just full HD, and didn't have a watermark. I definitely would have preferred something totally free tho.

IP Camera looks like it only works with VLC or a browser according to its description. The built in support for it on Android might not actually do what I want either... 🤔

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

It's arguably an old app (est. 2010), but I think OBS should be able to consume a VLC streaming source?

No idea about the max rez@fps, my main uses for it over the years have included things like tying an old phone to a rope and lowering it into a pipe to locate a stray kitten, attaching it to a RC car for a "VR experience", and using it as an enhanced mirror to take a splinter out of my foot 🤷