As many of us are being thrown off of our CR100's, and forced onto an external third party device, please use this thread to say what device you will use or have tried, and advise what settings and configurations make it work.
Please keep it on topic, use the "Save the CR100" thread to put the world to rights on the bricking of our functioning devices.
Life must go on, The CR100 will die, lets try to help each other find our best solution.
To start,
I have just purchased a Lenovo Tab 7 Essential, 7" screen so similar overall size to the controller, ordered through Tesco Direct, very fast service available in 3 hours from ordering.
Tesco added a discount so got it for £62, although They advertised it as the Tab 4 7" which is actually a different unit with slightly higher res and should retail at £99 rather than £69 anyway its fine at the right price. both run Android 7.0
So set it up with no security as I don't want a pin entry each time I pick it up.
Installed Sonos from Google play and allowed Sonos net connections and connected straight to my system.
Then set the sonos options to "Show lock screen controls" and "Show Volume on Home screen"
Set the Android screen saver to Clock (its a bit too small compared to the Controller) but can be shown when docked (charging), so leave the unit on and it blacks out to a clock, can be digital or analogue.
One downside of this particular device is the micro usb charging port is not central, so Belkin docks wont work, so the cradle/dock could be an issue!? Any ideas?
Leave the Sonos app running and it comes out of the lock screen into Sonos.
Without a proper cradle its not so easy to directly compare, sometime touching the display unlocks, othertimes I need to press the side power button.
If you touch the button it goes to the home screen, which needs a swipe to unlock, a nice touch, if sonos is playing and running, then the home screen wallpaper is the artwork.
On the home screen are quick access play,stop and skip but no volume, there is a tiny expander arrow that opens up a menu that has a button to change volume, but thats way too complex, easier to double tap the quick access area and it opens the sonos app to show you the zone with volume control, art, queue etc.
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First impressions are that "pinning" the app is pretty useless because it tells you on the screen how to turn it off. My attempts at making it require a password / PIN code if you DO turn it off have resulted in it asking for the PIN code every time youwake it up. What I'm trying to do is have it so no unlock code is required to use the tablet, but that it is "locked" to the Sonos app - with a code being required only if you want to exit that app.
The reason is that I want to leave this lying around and don't want the kids using it for anything other than Sonos. Maybe if I set up a user profile that only contains the Sonos app? Anyone know if that would work - I mean can you delete everything else?
Anyone who can suggest a solution?
In the meantime, off to look into a case for the back of it, so that I can hide a wireless charging receiver between it and the device. My plan is to get round the docking station issue by using a Qi charging receiver that plugs into the mini usb and is hidden by the case, so I can just leave it sitting on the charging pad. Anyone with experience of this?
Thanks
If you intend to leave the tablet in a charger, there is an option that will allow the pinned screen to stay on with no need to unlock as long as the tablet in on the charger. To activate, you need to enable Developers Options:
https://www.greenbot.com/article/2457986/android/how-to-enable-developer-options-on-your-android-phone-or-tablet.html
Then you need to go into the Developers Options menu and select the option to Stay Awake while charging.
Thanks.
I've already done as you suggest on the Kindle Fires that I purchased, but haven't tried it on the Lenovo. Issue I have is that one member of the family doesn't like the fact that the device screen is on all the time 🙂. Keeps her awake apparently.
Feedback on the other thread dealing with these issues suggests that using a "Kiosk" app might offer the full flexibility that I want on the Lenovo at least. Whilst the same app can run on the Kindle, a read of the Developer's website saysquite a few of the key features will not work on the Kindle.
You could try enabling Daydream on the Lenovo. See in Display settings. I was using a Nexus 7 (2012) -- until it became too old and sclerotic -- with the controller app pinned and Daydream on. When it slept (powered) it would display a faint roving clock, and would awaken to the touch. The only time I needed to unlock the device was if I held back/overview buttons simultaneously as directed to unpin the app.
The Kindle Fire suits my needs very well, but I get the impression that the non-standard Android implementation throws up a few irritations for some. I am sure if @Kenneth_14 has further observations as he plays around with the Fire and the Lenovo they will be of help to many (sorry to put you on the spot!).
Playing with the Lenovo Tab and the Kiosk "Fully" app over the weekend - so here's a few more comments:
- if you don't need to lock down the tablets and want to use them for purposes other than the Sonos controller then the Kindle Fire is good value for money, especially if Amazon is a part of your life already.
- the Lenovo Tab WITH the Kiosk "Fully" app works really well at stopping people from doing anything other than using it as a Sonos controller. It also allows you to have it so that the screen will dim then go off, but spring back to life if you wave your hand in front of it (uses the camera as a motion sensor) or move it. When it springs back to life it comes on in the app ready to go. Setting up the app is a bit fiddly (but that may just be me). The app is free to use - to try it out, but I found I needed to buy a licence to get it working perfectly. The licence costs £4.50 (one off).
- I'm waiting on delivery of a case for the Lenovo in order to try out wireless charging. The wireless receiver has already arrived but when I tried it without the case it doesn't seem to work properly. The issue may be positioning the receiver on the back of the tablet so that when you place the tablet on the charger it is in the right place. The receiver is designed for a (smaller) mobile phone rather than a tablet. Will persevere when the cover arrives. If I can get the wireless charging working then I'd have no hesitation in recommending the Lenovo approach. Even as it is now, the lenovo is the better option for my particular use requirements.
Anyone who has had success with a particular wireless receiver please let me know which one?
Thanks
Userlevel 1
Kenneth_14,
Im glad you find the Kiosk software to be the right direction. I have found that the app "Fully Kiosk Browser & App Lockdown" to be the most cost effective method to do what you want. As a reference to others Fully can be found in the app store here: https://play.google.com/store/search?q=Fully%20Kiosk%20Browser%20%26%20App%20Lockdown&c=apps (am I allowed to post this in the forums? Forgive the faux paw if not)
Other similar apps go for ~$50 per device per year (they are business focused) this app was a flat fee of ~$7.50.
So far none of the more technology savvy youth have been able to bypass the Kiosk mode - but not for lack of trying!!
Dan
Im glad you find the Kiosk software to be the right direction. I have found that the app "Fully Kiosk Browser & App Lockdown" to be the most cost effective method to do what you want. As a reference to others Fully can be found in the app store here: https://play.google.com/store/search?q=Fully%20Kiosk%20Browser%20%26%20App%20Lockdown&c=apps (am I allowed to post this in the forums? Forgive the faux paw if not)
Other similar apps go for ~$50 per device per year (they are business focused) this app was a flat fee of ~$7.50.
So far none of the more technology savvy youth have been able to bypass the Kiosk mode - but not for lack of trying!!
Dan
https://neeo.com/works-with-neeo/
Userlevel 6
+15
I've got a Kindle Fire I grabbed on refurb sale for guests to use, but I never remember to charge it.
Case for my Lenovo tab 7 Essential arrived so I plugged the wifi charging receiver in and hid it between the device and the case. It works fine. Only issue is that the charging pad and Wifi receiver I'm using is quite small and the Lenovo is a fair bit bigger, so it takes a bit of skill in putting it down on the charging pad in the correct place to get it to connect. I need to buy another charging pad anyway, so may see if a bigger one works better.
Philskill, Daniel, Alan, if you have any suggestions on a pad that is working well for you please shout out.
On a separate matter, that Neeo thing looks good, though lack zone grouping at the moment. Appraently that feature will be added in time and I am tempted to try one if that happens.
Philskill, Daniel, Alan, if you have any suggestions on a pad that is working well for you please shout out.
On a separate matter, that Neeo thing looks good, though lack zone grouping at the moment. Appraently that feature will be added in time and I am tempted to try one if that happens.
Look for one with 3 coils.
I was in bathstore yesterday when this caught my eye due to its familiar design style. It's removable and clearly splashproof and I wonder whether its hackable to support simpla Sonos functionality. There are now so many products designed in the style of.. I have a doorbell and nearly bought a dehumidifier which was the same shape and top design of a Play 1 only much larger.
Look for one with 3 coils.
Thanks, bought a 3 coil one and its working a treat.
I opened a bookmarked Logitech Harmony/Sonos page and up popped a message saying that Logitech is working on a problum with the Sonos interface they noticed on 10/04 (or 04/10 ;)).
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