Other uses for Convergence, presenter mode?

[poVoq]

Since the convergence functionality it probably not quite yet at a level where it will work for most people as a main device, maybe it is worth looking for other use-cases so that this isn't just an under developed novelty functionality?

One thing that might work really well is a presenter mode. Connect your phone to a projector either via HDMI out or miracast and use your phone screen as a display for notes or as an input device.

As a base this really cool qt5 based desktop app might work:
https://github.com/jahnf/Projecteur

That way you could even use the motion sensor of your phone as a 3D mouse, or alternatively connect a Bluetooth presenter input device.

Any other cool ideas for using the convergence functionality?

Maybe game emulators that can use the phone(s) as a controllers and project the image to an TV?

[kugiigi]

@poVoq At the moment, Unity 8 turns the device screen into a touchpad/OSK whenever you connect an external display.
However, there were initial works done by Canonical to support multi-monitor which I think will support the use cases you mentioned. There were also initial work by UBports to land this to the current version of UT but I don't think it will land soon. Probably mid this year or late this year? Once we got that then maybe we can explore more possibilities

[WLBI]

@kugiigi said in Other uses for Convergence, presenter mode?:

but I don't think it will land soon. Probably mid this year or late this year? Once we got that then maybe we can explore more possibilities

For me, that convergence is the main thing, why using Ubuntu Touch.

2nd most important would be to use native Android apps, because Ubuntu Touch has almost no pure apps, only that implemented websites as Web-Apps.

[kugiigi]

@WLBI I think you can hope for convergence as it is still in the goal of UBports but I would not put my hopes for Android apps compatibility. Anbox is there, I know but I don't think it will ever be a priority for the platform. It's better to make the system better and apps might come later.

[WLBI]

@kugiigi I hear that "App will come later when the system is better" since ... 2001 I guess.
Still missing real useful pure apps.
I ordered the first Ubuntu Phone, just when it was released and some later the first Ubuntu tablet. I used it as my daily driver for about one year, but now I am back to Android, because missing a lot of apps.
Everything is Web-Apps... But why using an web-app? Actually I can open any website in the browser, so I don't need extra app.

[dobey]

@WLBI said in Other uses for Convergence, presenter mode?:

Everything is Web-Apps... But why using an web-app? Actually I can open any website in the browser, so I don't need extra app.

Because webapps are confined browser instances, so profile data is not shared between them, and security issues and malware JavaScript from one site can't steal your cookies/data stored from another site in this case.

Complaining to us that WhatsApp/Twitter/Snapchat/whatever don't provide native apps, doesn't change anything though. We can't fix their proprietary services to integrate properly with UT. We can make webapps and do some additional integration work to make using the web site nicer and feel more native on UT, though. If the native apps don't exist that you need, then it's best to ask the services you require to provide those apps, or try to develop alternatives. There's only a few of us working in our spare time on UT, and we can't build an OS and write all possible apps people might need, ourselves. We need people helping to do that. So feel free to help.