/users/xiled/phlog/2025/20251113


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	STARDATE: 20251113.1530
	LOCATION: Local park picnic table
	INPUT DEVICE: Samsung S22 tethered to XREAL Air
	AUDIO: Sounds from the street, birds, keyboard clackle.
	VISUAL: nano in termux, Xreal Air Glasses with transparent
	background of a bridge over the wash, bushes, cars off in
	the distance.
	EMOTIONAL: Fed.

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	I got this used Samsung Galaxy S22 phone for dirt cheap that I
	wanted to use with Samsung DeX. I have heard about Dex in the past
	but have not had a chance to mess with it since I have not had a
	Samsung device that ran Android. I have been hesitant to own
	one of these devices since I keep hearing about privacy concerns,
	but I figured that I'd bite the bullet and grab this one on the
	cheap. Also, this device is not my main device and will mostly be
	used for testing.

	Samsung DeX is basically a "Desktop eXperience" for your mobile
	device. It allows you to connect a keyboard, mouse, and monitor to
	your phone. I have been looking for something m0ar portable than a
	laptop or the Steam Deck to work with the Xreal Air glasses,
	something that I can turn on and off easily without having to deal
	with shutting down or worrying about suspend/hibernate issues.

	Right now, I have the Xreal Air glasses plugged in to the USB-C
	port of the S22 mobile. The Air glasses are powered by the S22
	and there is only one cable that I have to deal with. For input,
	I am using a Royal Kludge F68 folding bluetooth keyboard and the
	S22's screen as a touchpad for mouse navigation.

	So far, with the few hours of experience with DeX, the experience
	is much better than I have tried to kludge together (with my Royal
	Kludge keyboard, doh!) This really gets me stoked, but it also
	bums me out that this is a Samsung thing. I would like to have an
	alternate option that is not as tin-foil hat triggering as Samsung
	is, but that solution has yet to manifest.

	Setup and teardown has been very simple, especially in comparison
	to my past attempts. In portable computing mode, keeping things
	simple and portable (duh!) is essential. I am not so fond of
	complicated setups/teardowns and lugging a whole bunch of
	equipment these days.

	Regarding the Xreal Air glasses, I have written about this piece of
	hardware in the past.[1] Having used them for some time now, the
	experience for my needs is the best so far. The thing that sucks
	is that I gotta keep fixing them. The plastic in the frame arms
	keep breaking, which I found to be a common complaint with other
	users. The plastic is too thin and tends to crack. So far, I have
	3 places where I have had to MacGyver a fix to be able to use the
	glasses again, which involved mini binder clips, electrical tape,
	paperclips, and heat shrink tubing. Not pretty and total ghetto
	engineering, but functional. It may even be stronger than the
	original, but far from elegant. I guess I added my own bit of
	custom to these glasses. I'm not so confident in the remaining
	lifespan of the Air glasses, but for now, they still work.

	In past days, I have tinkered with all different setups for this
	type of portable computing, each with its own issues and challenges
	with useability and function. This iteration gives me m0ar hope in
	continuing this exploration.

	It is also nice to be slow with my exploration and enjoy what I am
	currently using since the technology improves so fast that the
	options that I am able to "upgrade" to for the next step in my
	journey are not state-of-the-art and can be found in the clearance
	or second-hand market.
	/me is not so interested in state-of-the-art prices.

	[1] 20240705_ots_rig

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