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View Full Version : Best use for a cheap Android tablet? Security? Home automation? Other neat project ideas? Help!


HoneyBadger
03-01-2013, 17:32
I got a free $100 android tablet with the refrigerator I bought a few months ago and I don't really know what to do with it. It's a 7" Coby Kyros something or other. I've had it for 3 months and I just pulled it out of the box after trying to sell it for as little as $50 with no takers. It doesn't have great reviews and isn't very powerful or fast... but it seems to work just fine. What should I do with it?

I'm looking for cool or fun suggestions for what I could possibly do with it. I was hoping I'd be able to link it to my home security system, but I don't really know anything about that. Any cool home automation ideas? I'm pretty tech-savvy, and no have qualms about hacking it for a cool-sounding project, I just need some ideas.
Zundfolge
03-01-2013, 17:37
You could turn it into a highly programmable, super universal remote for your TV, Stereo and whatnot.

I've also seen several cool in-car PC type applications of smaller tablets. Something like this:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stE33HD4g-c
cfortune
03-01-2013, 17:39
You could always watch porn with it...
bogie
03-01-2013, 17:40
You could frame it and make it into one of those digital photo frames. I think the remote would be cool though.
HoneyBadger
03-01-2013, 17:57
You could always watch porn with it...

Oh come on, really? [facepalm]
HoneyBadger
03-01-2013, 20:15
Any other ideas? Has anyone done anything like this before?
hghclsswhitetrsh
03-01-2013, 20:16
Sell it for $25 and apply to the purchase of an iPad....?
HoneyBadger
03-01-2013, 20:33
Sell it for $25 and apply to the purchase of an iPad....?

lol already have one. This is why I'm looking some something fun and creative to do with this thing.
blacklabel
03-01-2013, 21:01
I think I've seen a setup for a front end for a home media server but I don't remember any details.
Aperta
03-01-2013, 21:21
go on google images and save a picture of a target and shoot it!
HoneyBadger
03-01-2013, 21:29
go on google images and save a picture of a target and shoot it!

Did that with an old iphone 3GS that was dead. I might have the picture around here somewhere...

Edit - Found it! 9mm fmj from about 15 yards:
http://i.imgur.com/vVSsA7E.jpg
Aperta
03-01-2013, 21:36
Did that with an old iphone 3GS that was dead. I might have the picture around here somewhere...

Sweet! I have a dead 3GS aswell I plan on shooting and an old xbox and ps3. [Flower] Hopefully i can get out shooting soon.
HoneyBadger
03-01-2013, 21:42
I think I've seen a setup for a front end for a home media server but I don't remember any details.
I would like to do something like this.

That, or maybe some sort of really creative project, that is actually useful.
XC700116
03-01-2013, 21:55
You could always watch porn with it...


Oh come on, really? [facepalm]


That's what the big screen is for......


In all seriousness though, there's a ton of things you could do with it. The Strelok ballistics calculator would be much easier to use on a slightly larger platform than a phone. The home automation idea, remote control on steroids, the list goes on. It just depends on what you're into and what niche you want filled that you don't currently have covered.
bigshane
03-01-2013, 22:41
It depends on how geeky you want to get. For example, I know someone who is doing a Raspberry Pi as Media Server build and using a rooted/rom'd tablet as the monitor/kb/trackpad for controlling the tiny server.

I often use one at my desk propped up and playing Pandora or Podcasts, using either DoggCatcher or PocketCasts.

Tapatalk for bed/bathroom forum access?

My Indispensables: Dropbox, Evernote, LastPass, Campus Portal (track the teenager's grades), Shortyz Crosswords, Wifi Analyzer, Speed Test, gReader, ES File Explorer.
HoneyBadger
03-01-2013, 22:44
It depends on how geeky you want to get. For example, I know someone who is doing a Raspberry Pi as Media Server build and using a rooted/rom'd tablet as the monitor/kb/trackpad for controlling the tiny server.

I often use one at my desk propped up and playing Pandora or Podcasts, using either DoggCatcher or PocketCasts.

Tapatalk for bed/bathroom forum access?

My Indispensables: Dropbox, Evernote, LastPass, Campus Portal (track the teenager's grades), Shortyz Crosswords, Wifi Analyzer, Speed Test, gReader, ES File Explorer.


I think I'd like to get pretty geeky with it... If you know what I mean. ;)
cfortune
03-01-2013, 22:50
I think I'd like to get pretty geeky with it... If you know what I mean. ;)



I was just kidding man...
Mazin
03-01-2013, 22:56
The remote idea was cool.


Sent from my Otterbox Defended Tactical iPhone using High Capacity "Clips".
n8tive97
03-01-2013, 22:59
PM me, I will buy it. My twin boys won't put my Window's 8 phone down because it has Fruit Ninja on it. Seriously, PM me.
bigshane
03-01-2013, 23:02
I think I'd like to get pretty geeky with it... If you know what I mean. ;)
Yikes. [werdo][Coffee]

Here's one of the projects: Link (http://esrlabs.com/android-transporter-on-the-raspberry-pi/)

The other involved rooting and using the MIUI ROM (http://miuiandroid.com/community/) for usb tethering to use it as a monitor.
bogie
03-01-2013, 23:05
Only bigger...
http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/iTelligent-Android-Optics-Adapters-2-439x660.jpg
wax_job
03-01-2013, 23:46
Bathroom Browser.

Shit Surfer.

Commode Companion.

Porcelain Ipad
HoneyBadger
03-02-2013, 08:32
Bathroom Browser.

Shit Surfer.

Commode Companion.

Porcelain Ipad
I think I may be in the minority here... But I honestly try to spent a minimal amount of time in the commode.
fitz19d
03-02-2013, 08:40
Ditto, I'm worried when a shit is longer than a couple mins.

How about a dedicated marine aquarium controller. (Lights, dosing, temp, etc)
wax_job
03-02-2013, 08:51
Yeah, I do all my commoding on the company dime.

One thing you might think about is security if you don't already have it. Dlink makes some easy setup products around $100/ea that will stream to your pad easily.

Games: Angry Birds, sudoku, risk

I like radar apps to watch the weather maps

Google earth, maps

Depending on your provider and package, there are tons of video streaming apps like HBOGO or SkinaMax

Craigslist apps

Reddit apps

I control my thermostat remotely with Nest

What else...
Kraven251
03-02-2013, 10:33
I use one of my old phones as a weather station for alerts temperature, road conditions etc. I set it up more for my wife than me, but it has proven useful. Did it with just a couple apps all but one was free.
brutal
03-02-2013, 13:11
Only bigger...
http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/iTelligent-Android-Optics-Adapters-2-439x660.jpg

Dumbest idea I've ever seen.
buzzed223
03-02-2013, 20:43
Root it and you can do a million things with it!
HoneyBadger
03-02-2013, 21:05
Yeah, I do all my commoding on the company dime.

One thing you might think about is security if you don't already have it. Dlink makes some easy setup products around $100/ea that will stream to your pad easily.

I control my thermostat remotely with Nest

What else...

This kind of stuff interests me..


Root it and you can do a million things with it!

I think I'm leaning toward this.

Thanks for the ideas everyone! If you have any neat ideas that haven't already been posted, let's hear them!
buzzed223
03-02-2013, 22:03
i have the samsung 10.1 I just got a few weeks ago...the battery is amazing on it and you can do pretty much anything with it....it could possibly even be bulletproof.
HoneyBadger
03-02-2013, 22:31
Yeah my tablet is not a nice samsung one... it is pretty cheap. So I'm not afraid to get under the hood and mess around with it a little. Hopefully I can find some cool project or a neat and useful thing to do with it.
buzzed223
03-02-2013, 22:36
My galaxy s3 has been formatted about 20 times....I rooted that bad boy as soon as I got it and no matter what I do to it I can always go back and start fresh...they are really fun to tinker with especially when you root or jailbreak your devices.