I have just found and reported bug in Android [1] that allows Bluetooth Headset to ring even though the “Do Not Disturb” is set to most strict setting that should give no symptoms of incoming calls.

[1] https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/69537851

Blender 3D can work with DualShock4 Playstation4 wireless controller over Bluetooth [1].

[1] http://www.blendswap.com/blends/view/78315

I am really unhappy that Google’s Android 7 started living with its own life against its user will. Android 7 will turn on and off Bluetooth connectivity on its own and scan the area itself, even that you turn off the Bluetooth device by hand. It looks that you have no control over your own phone anymore! Shame on you Google! Really poor design idea :-(

Update: I have reported this issue to Google Security Team, they got interested, so this does not seem to be a “standard feature”.. maybe a phone design flaw or firmware/microcode bug..

Another HALL OF SHAME entry goes to Google for missing reliable Voice Dial functionality. It is over 5 years of bleeding edge development of Android, thousands of people in the most powerful IT corporation on this planet, most advanced Text-To-Speech and Speech-To-Text engines available, and still, no reliable Voice Dial function. People that use phone to work simply need a Bluetooth or Wired Headset that is able to correctly dial a designated phone number they want to make a call. These are daily work basics. Learn from Apple iPhone. Until these basic functionalities are provided first I see no reason to introduce thousands of not-yet-working or never-working-will-one-day-fix stuff that only create false image of endless possibilities, potentially, but not at all functional in the real world scenarios..

I have Accessibility, Text-To-Speech, Voice-Input, OK-Google, Google Search, Handsfree, Voice Dialer, Google Voice Typing, Offline Speech Recognition, Bluetooth and Wired Headset Support. Still, it is impossible to dial a phone number via Headset that would not involve touching the phone. Really sad :-(

Update: After several days of struggle (using unsupported flashing tool and ripping the firmware from an official software that declined to work) I have managed to run Android 6.0 (7.0 is already out) on my mobile. Here Google seems to have replaced “Voice Dial” application with “Google Search” and now you can ask Google to dial a number for you. Well, it only works when you are online, and now Google knows exactly what you do all the time. What a breakthrough! ;-)

I have recently bought Xperia M5 mobile phone (400EUR) and SBH54 bluetooth headset (100EUR) both from Sony. W was previously happily using cheaper Xperia Z1 Compact mobile phone (250EUR) and Motorola HT820 bluetooth headset (30EUR). I DID NOT EXPECT TO GET SUCH A CRAP FROM SONY!

Xperia M5 D6503 has several issues that makes it a phone for a child, at most, including Bluetooth Headset problems that makes it impossible to talk, UTB OTG problems, no MHL support (HDMI-over-USB), no Cardboard VR support, no Repair from Xperia Companion for unlocked devices, and many more. This is NOT a phone for a developer not even to the working person, just a crappy toy. I consider ALL XPERIA “M” SERIES AS JUNK! The only sensible well designed both hardware and software seems to be “Z” series, maybe “X”, DO NOT WASTE TIME AND MONEY ON XPERIA “M” SERIES.

SBH54 Bluetooth Headset looks really promising “wearable assistant”, but at the moment it cannot really work well with one device, not to mention offered multipoint (only two peers at most!!!) connection that worked well in older devices. For instance I had no problem with 10 year old Motorola to listen MP3 from a computer and have a phone ready to talk in the same time which is not possible with SBH54. I only get frustrated with this crap, and other users as well complain on your official forum. This device is still a pure chaos and works unpredictably. Cannot really perform its basic function “headset” with Xperia M5. Android application does not work as Service and disappears when you need it most. You need to pair it again with the same devices after poweroff. Headphones sound it very good but they break apart. Its not really useful nor reliable in any way at the moment. Hope it gets a firmware update soon and I could take it out from the trash.

This is really sad because hardware looks very well for both devices. In theory parameters and functions look fine as well. However, Software/Firmware makes it useless buggy annoying junk. Shame on you Sony for releasing such a buggy junk! I am happily placing Sony, XperiaM5 and SBH54 into HALL OF SHAME, with no respect to those two unfortunate failures. Time-To-Market is not worth the Respect and Customers that you loose.

World is now at point now where companies release happily a new product that is still at early prototype stage and don’t even give a shit about that.. people loose time and money for this crap..

Note: After all struggle and years of play with Android I consider only NEXUS to be sensible and reasonable choice to work with. Sorry.

It is possible to connect a game controller to Android based device and use it as input for your application [1].

[1] https://developer.android.com/training/game-controllers/index.html

There is one simple way I have discovered to pair with Dualshock4 Playstation4 controller using standard Bluetooth Pairing Procedure. Make sure controller is turned off, then press and hold SHARE button, then press and hold PLAYSTATION button until LED starts to blink (two short white blinks every few seconds). You can now discover and enjoy your Dualshock4 controller with any Bluetooth (HID) enabled device. No cables and no additional applications necessary! :-)

Dualshock4 is a really nice high quality and precise controller that can be used in many more interesting applications than only playing games. It is compatible with Bluetooth HID and USB HID standard. It contains 2 analog joysticks, 2 analog sliders, 13 buttons, touch-pad, accelerometer, vibrator, audio speaker with headset port, RGB LED, micro-USB port, and external expansion port..

Unfortunately, lack of self-compatibility seems to be a strong disadvantage of Playstation platform. Not only because PS4 does not run old software. Dualshock4 seems to have different way of handling button events as compared to Dualshock3 (default Playstation3 controller). It has some sort of auto-repeat feature (like PC BIOS keyboard) instead of button change events (like MIDI). This renders Dualshock4 unreliable on Playstation3 platform because of massive control glitches. Also DS4 PS button does not produce system menu on PS3, so you cannot use it as the main controller replacement. Sadly, it is impossible to use DS3 controller on PS4 as well. Hopefully, switching CPU to AMD64 and OS to FreeBSD could bring more self-compatibility to Playstation in future..

In case you wonder why your device does not connect as Modem via Bluetooth to the Mac OSX, or you cannot see COM port on Windows, your mobile device may not simply support or provide DUN (Dial Up Network) and/or SPP (Serial Port Profile) profile.

On Mac OSX I got following error, until I tried another device and/or starting by hand DUN service on a mobile/client machine:

cannot open /dev/cu.Bluetooth-Modem: Resource busy

Notes:

• Read Bluetooth specification for Serial Port Profile.
• Read Bluetooth specification for Dial-Up Network Profile.
• Modern mobile phones / USB 3G dongles, unfortunately, do not provide direct AT/Hayes access to the Radio Modem anymore.
• You can install DUN application for your smartphone, but it will be only a simple dummy wrapper imitating modem for simple applications, but they do not provide full modem functionality, beware, its a fake.
• Its only necessary for devices to be paired first in order to get SPP/DUN working. If device does not provide serial port over bluetooth when devices are paired and online, probably its just not there implemented.