[request) hardware phone call buttons
 

hi maemo community,
this is my first post here written with my n900

i have an idea for a new app, so here it is:
i miss hardware buttons for starting and end up calls.
so maybe it is possible if a call arrives to use volume down key to accept the call or volume up key to block the call.
and if the call ends i can end up the call with by pressing volume up key.
i dont know if this would be possible or someone is already working on it.
i think such an app would be great for the usability on incoming calls.

greetings from germany ( so cold in here)

Re: [request) hardware phone call buttons
 

May I ask why? What would be the benefit of that? I mean, what's wrong with those huge green button on the screen? How would those tiny HW buttons be more practical?

IMHO, some of the requests are beyond my mind.

Re: [request) hardware phone call buttons
 

Well basically as it's quite hard to tell where the on-screen buttons are.

While I don't want hw buttons in particular, I would like a larger answer/cancel button so that it can be pressed without needing to look at the screen.

Re: [request) hardware phone call buttons
 

the benefit is, you can feel hardware buttons.
so when i'm in car and want to answer a call i have to look on the n900. with hardware buttons i can answer the call blind, because i can feel where the "green" button is.

Sometimes it happens to me that the phone rings and the display is to slow, sometimes i have to klick 2 or more times on the green button.

Do you understand what my "problem" is?

Re: [request) hardware phone call buttons
 

well, they can be only on two places, depends on orientation. My phone is only on portrait so I really don't have any problems.

Re: [request) hardware phone call buttons
 

bullrin, i feel your pain.

ive had that problem too, with the screen remaining blank, especially if you take the phone out of your pocket. I'd appreciate hardware buttons, heck even one will do, for answering the call. say, pressing the camera button while the lens cover is closed answers the call? the camera button is most conveniently placed one i guess...

Re: [request) hardware phone call buttons
 

Hmm, I wonder if it would be possible to overlay a fullscreen window over the call UI, then one could add two buttons that take up the whole screen, upper half would be answer, lower half would be end, for me, at least, that would allow me to answer without looking at the device.

Re: [request) hardware phone call buttons
 

And in that case, how would you know who is calling? ;) To me much more important then HW keys.
But I have been using TS devices for 15 years so I'm used to all that (dis)advantages and I can adjust myself to it.

Re: [request) hardware phone call buttons
 

Maybe you can ask when you answer????

Re: [request) hardware phone call buttons
 

Well, and what if that's your boss calling when you are gone fishing? :D

Re: [request) hardware phone call buttons
 

For simple solutions you could use shortcutd combined with a dbus call to answer the phone call. But I could never get it to work correctly with the camera button.

I also believe Phone Speaker Switch has the functionality of answering and ending phone calls with a long press of the camera button.

Re: [request) hardware phone call buttons
 

i have already tried phone speaker switcher but long press camera doesnt work. maybe its because i use camkeyd?
shortcutd is an idea. i will try it.
for the caller name problem, use espeak caller. but it has never worked on my n900. also dont know why

Re: [request) hardware phone call buttons
 

Another benefit is that there are some times the phone rings with just a blank screen. This mod would allow you to pick up when that glitch occurs.

Re: [request) hardware phone call buttons
 

Yeah that is an issue - especially if your phone is in landscape mode when the phone rings and you pick it up and it takes ages (well a while at least) to work out where its buttons should then end up. Shame the phone app can't be forced to remain in portrait mode imo.

Re: [request) hardware phone call buttons
 

Using the volume up and volume down keys would be the best way to do this.

Volume up to answer a call when it's incoming, volume down to hang-up or decline the call.

Re: [request) hardware phone call buttons
 

You can make the Phone app always in portrait mode. Tap on the top to get the menu, choose "Turning control", then choose Portrait instead of Automatic for "Orientation".

Re: [request) hardware phone call buttons
 

The problem with having an app that uses volume keys to hang up is that it makes it that much harder to lower volume during a call. Unlikely as needing that is, given the phone volume of the little speaker slit that gets used when you're not on speaker, it's still inconvenient. BUT, I DO agree with using volume up/down for pick-up/reject.

Though honestly, if it were me, I would make it as customizable as possible from the beginning, so that the users could change which keys get mapped. I might not care about this, and most users might not care about this, but I assure you there'll be someone who would love this feature, but would prefer to be able to use the volume keys to modulate ring-tone volume as the call is coming in or something.

Re: [request) hardware phone call buttons
 

I could be wrong but my understanding is that using cam key would be easier. Volume key action is taken by the OS so I would think you need to run a daemon to intercept the volume key action somewhere, somehow.

Re: [request) hardware phone call buttons
 

Sorry, that is wrong. See the following post for how to grab the volume keys in Python:

http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?p=550058

Re: [request) hardware phone call buttons
 

Uh you're right. Didn't think about this situation.
The Volume keys should work as normal during a call ( volume up and down). Maybe cam key is the better choice to end a call.
But push it 2secons or more, so that nobody accidently end a call by simply touching the cam key.


Yeah that would be perfect.
Maybe double press a key could be a possibility.

Re: [request) hardware phone call buttons
 

*push*

other ideas ?