[Android Head-Units] Tuatara:
WARNING: Mad Scientist at work

Check out my join date on XDA. :D

I've been lurking (since post #10 or so), reading, watching, being impressed by Newsmy and especially their communications on XDA (I'm always amazed by a company willing to talk to it's users!), deciding, purchasing, waiting (over 3 agonizing weeks in customs and brutal customs $duty$), exhilaration upon it's arrival (it's a great product!), decompiling, recompiling, far too many Google searches, checking on everyone's XDA 'wish list', analyzing and reverse-engineering ... eventuating in building a ROM and ClockworkMod recovery with every feature I'd want, in order to address "my" needs, thereby maybe making a great device even better.

I've been "modding ROMs" for well over two decades. 10 years ago I was building and (back)porting ROMs for Windows Mobile on XDA. I've since been commercially developing hardware & software products for both iPhones and Androids as well as other embedded devices. I'm not "public" with my work - but for this unique and well designed & built product (which I wanted for myself), I'm making an exception. I am a Hardware Engineer by trade, having undertaken multiple commercial hardware product developments for iPhone & Android ... you might be using some of my work and not even know it.

Since Newsmy is watching this forum thread, I'm certain they will have a look at the ROM and the changes I've made. In theory I could help with the RDS implementation for the Silicon Labs Si475x-A10, having written a number of highly optimized embedded solutions for RDS on SiLabs FM chips already. However, I know that the MCU is the 'unique core' of the product, and without source code, it would be an (almost) insurmountable reverse engineering effort. Contact is welcome, and I can provide expertise and source for an embedded RDS implementation.

Mad Scientist? Definitely. And as for not saying anything ... unfortunately the 'cat is out of the bag' ... I can only assume I will now need to be posting more on XDA again. ;)

---------- Post added at 04:45 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:26 PM ----------

Bluetooth Audio is mixed at the output stage, and does not pass through Android. In the same way that the Bluetooth Microphone can not be used for "Ok Google", the Bluetooth audio can not be used by Android. It's unfortunate from a ViPER4Android audio enhancement perspective, but a very smart decision on a hardware basis. Bringing an audio stream into Android to (normally) just mix it and pass it back out again is a very wasteful operation resource-wise.

NOTE: My mistake in understanding you. This ONLY applies to the Phone Bluetooth Headset connection! The Audio Bluetooth connection is routed through Android, and it should be possible to apply ViPER4Android to this audio stream. I have not experimented with this as yet (android box on desk, head unit in car), but I will as soon as I finish the bezel and installation.

Sorry about the softkeys ... and about the NZ/Pacific/Auckland/Date Format ... but making new ROMs for a single build.prop change is a bit overkill.

The "cheat" solution ... since later build.prop(s) override earlier ones, just do the following:

adb remount
adb shell "echo \"qemu.hw.mainkeys=1\" >> /system/build.prop"
adb shell "echo \"ro.product.locale.language=en\" >> /system/build.prop"
adb shell "echo \"ro.product.locale.region=US\" >> /system/build.prop"
adb shell "echo \"ro.com.android.dateformat=MM-dd-yyyy\" >> /system/build.prop"
adb shell "echo \"persist.sys.language=en\" >> /system/build.prop"
adb shell "echo \"persist.sys.country=US\" >> /system/build.prop"
adb shell "echo \"persist.sys.timezone=America/New_York\" >> /system/build.prop"
adb reboot

That should sort out all your localization needs, although I'm not sure if the localization settings will override any selections.

Creating your own personalized version of the Tuatara Carpad II ROM

The simplest answer would be to use the Factory Tool 4.4, and edit your build.prop (and graphical features) in the available GUI.

For build.prop features, click [Modify Buildprop], and edit the file according to your preferences (examples are above).

- Simply find the appropriate lines that match, and change the parameters to suit.

For Boot Logo, Boot Animation, and Wallpaper - just choose the appropriate option, select the PNG/ZIP/JPG you want respectively, and you're done.

NOTE: Make sure the sizes are 1024x600 for boot logo, same or smaller for boot animation, and anything JPG goes for the wallpaper.

Once you're happy ... click [Confirm Modification] and enjoy your own 'custom' ROM.

I've added the Factory Tool 4.4. to my Google Drive, so you can download and customize away!!!