I don’t have any spare SIM cards lying around, but I do recall doing a brief test a couple years ago, and apart from some problems with SMS message formats, things seemed to work fine.
Unless you’re referring to WiFi, to which the answer is of course, as that’s how the time and date got set correctly. On boot it somehow thought it was an hour earlier and eight days ahead, but still on a Friday; I forgot to check which year, though.
Updates stopped at a special KitKat-based FireOS version, so most modern apps are likely broken. Dynamic Perspective never gave me a headache - it’s actually pretty well implemented - but it does get boring after ten to fifteen minutes.
I think I’ll charge one up and see how it’s doing!
The corner cameras (of which only 2 would be in use at any given time) were IR cameras used for head tracking to determine the user’s position and gaze in order to render the 3D interface effect.
Holy fuck they still work? Can you run any modern apps on them? Does the 3D give you a headache?
Update: Still Alive
Wow, that’s fucking awesome. Can you put it on a network?
I don’t have any spare SIM cards lying around, but I do recall doing a brief test a couple years ago, and apart from some problems with SMS message formats, things seemed to work fine.
Unless you’re referring to WiFi, to which the answer is of course, as that’s how the time and date got set correctly. On boot it somehow thought it was an hour earlier and eight days ahead, but still on a Friday; I forgot to check which year, though.
Daaang, I forgot about the 4 (!!!) front cameras. Super creepy. Like, one is already bad and accepted but four…
The four cameras on the corner were lo-rez IR cameras used exclusively for head tracking for the Dynamic Perspective feature.
Updates stopped at a special KitKat-based FireOS version, so most modern apps are likely broken. Dynamic Perspective never gave me a headache - it’s actually pretty well implemented - but it does get boring after ten to fifteen minutes.
I think I’ll charge one up and see how it’s doing!
What’s dynamic perspective?
They had a sort of 3d effect to them using the 4 front cameras which was a neat gimmick
What had a 3d effect? Selfies?
The entire UI.
The corner cameras (of which only 2 would be in use at any given time) were IR cameras used for head tracking to determine the user’s position and gaze in order to render the 3D interface effect.
Oh wow, sounds impressive, thanks
It was way ahead of its time, and nobody wanted it.
It also added zero value to the device, but it’s what Jeff wanted.
Totally sounds like a waste of computing power and therefore battery life, but the concept of fascinating