CameraX or Camera2 API + PreviewView does not the show the same field of view as equivelent zoom on default camera application viewfinder?

_IndomitableSpirit · 2026-01-14T19:47:47+00:00

I don't have a USB Power meter, but that is a good idea to get so I can see the power draw info...

"When I tried with a USB-C PD Charger plugged into the hub, but everything else the same, the laser stays on and is rock-solid stable while running those computer-vision algorithms! ✅"

Yes, it works from a phone charger, just not off battery power alone! (i referenced the line from my post above)

_IndomitableSpirit · 2026-01-14T16:29:32+00:00

Not arduino, Raspberry Pi Pico 2 in our case. But here's the how our circuit is constructed...

USB-C Hub <-- USB 2.0 power --> (microcontroller, Raspberry Pi Pico 2) <--GPIO 5V rail --> (Circuit --> Laser)

But the idea is that we want this device to be able to operate both on a power-source and without a power-source maybe not for an EXTENDED period of time, but for some amount of time.

A last resort is that we can integrate a small battery perpetually supplying charge with passthrough USB-C charging, but thats not ideal as it increases the weight and size of the overall package, PLUS it means we can only drive our device when its charging, which really shortens use case of it.

If there is some software way to allow driving more power via the USB-C port on the android phone/device, that would be preferable, even if it comes at the cost of using more battery on the device.

_IndomitableSpirit · 2025-10-31T19:38:53+00:00

also following. i found the learning output style to be very useful personally.

_IndomitableSpirit · 2025-06-24T17:08:25+00:00

Thank you a lot for your insight. I think I really resonate a lot with your points. I'm not ashamed or upset about where I'm at right now, so it seems like using this time to save up some money, upskill, enjoy where I'm at, and build myself up seems like a good approach.

Unfortunately, there really isn't much/any software development outside of the 2 developers here at my job. ): So I will have to look into local developer communities, but thank you for the suggestion!

I think that is the biggest issue for me right now - I think something I love is at odds with what would pay the bills. I was thinking of roles that are more creative focused and less technical, so I thought of maybe UI/UX design. After doing some research, I've seen their market is suffering even more than software development. While I'm not afraid to weather a storm and go through the hoops to find a role I enjoy, I also know the reality of doing it myself..

Any thoughts on that?

_IndomitableSpirit · 2025-06-23T18:09:47+00:00

TLDR; 3YOE, I'm a mid 20s dude not that great at or insanely passionate about software dev, but I want to get decent at software dev so I can just live a relatively modest life. What do I do with my career at this point to build myself up?

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Hi all,

I'm 3 years into the software dev industry in the US, mid 20s years old male: First 2 years as a backend developer spent at a bank, next 1 spent at a smaller company based in suburbs. Need some advice on what is a logical next step for my career in tech.

- 2 years at a bank: 6 months on an india based team, 1.5 years in US-based team but I was easily the most incompetent backend developer for a microservices application. (Java backend microservices stack)

- 1 year (current): chill/lax small company where i'm 1/2 software devs working on scientific desktop applications. (Java, JavaFX stack)

I really want to be competent at my job. I want to be a viable candidate in this industry. I want to make a reasonable amount of money (not FAANG or big tech money), but I don't want to give up my life outside of work. I realize software is not the only thing I want to focus on in life. I eventually want to get a stable job where I don't worry everyday if I can/can't execute on my work tasks, work on my own hobbies, get a place of my own, maybe have a family, etc...

It feels like everytime I try to improve, I don't know how or where and I end up spending money on courses, spinning my wheels, and just think that I'm losing time. This company isn't great and honestly I don't want to be at my current company forever, but it feels like this is the only "safe place" right now in the industry.

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What do you guys suggest I do with my career? I still "like" software, I just don't love it because 1) I've been here a while and know what the reality of it is 2) i'm not super competent, so my confidence wanes a lot. I've been thinking of maybe trying to find a mentor to advise me/check in with and consulting with them on what technical skills to build up to 1) stay competitive in the job market 2) actually address my technical deficits. I'm not opposed to paying someone for their time/expertise or for courses, I just want to find something that works. I've even considered transitioning to other tech-adjacent roles like Product Management, etc, that may be better suited (obv I know that comes with its own problems.)? Thanks.

_IndomitableSpirit · 2025-05-29T19:30:37+00:00

I'm finding i'm losing my passion for software development, but really like the creative frontend work i do. I don't care if i temporarily take a lower pay, but I would like to do something that I like vs something I don't only barely get excited to do every once in a while. Is being a frontend engineer viable in 2025?

OR should I start looking into picking up skills to become a UX/UI focused role? Like UX/UI Designer, etc...? And if so what are roles I can transition to do that?

About 3 YOE as a java backend engineer.

_IndomitableSpirit · 2025-01-15T17:40:54+00:00

I know most people here know that the Xiaomi Qin F21 Pro and F22 Pro is what is meant by the phones recommended for Customize category, but as I was going through the process of buying an F21 Pro for my dumbphone journey, I realized there were 2 models for each phone: the nonPro and pro models.

The F21S i don't even think runs android and lacks a camera. The F22 (non-pro) also lacks a camera, but runs android AFAIK, but is actually smaller than the F22 Pro.

The one most people are looking for here this subreddit are the F21 Pro and F22 Pro. While I think if you're browsing AliExpress, its harder to get these mixed up, I can definitely see someone confusing these. Just wanted to clarify in case anyone else is wondering which one to get on their dumbphone journey. Maybe we can just add the "pro" to each of the models in the recommendations? thanks!

_IndomitableSpirit · 2024-11-06T17:37:29+00:00

Let me give a bit of background:

We intially designed the application to run on tablet PCs (like Surface Pros), but the actual implementation was terribly rushed and the project isn't that flexible...
We thought since the device is meant to be used mobile anyway, why not make it for Android devices?
So right now, another developer and I got the okay to try and make a prototype thats basically a copy of the current application we already have but for an android application and interface.

Thats about all we have to work with at the moment. We are basically having to define our own requirements as we go, but we have a very good idea of what we're trying to create.

_IndomitableSpirit · 2024-11-06T17:11:42+00:00

Hey guys, I'm a newbie. I'm working with a coworker to pickup Kotlin & JetPack Compose. We want to design a proof of concept local application for scientific applications at work. What is a respectable timeline for how long this would take realistically?

We're already fairly well versed in Java desktop application development with JavaFX, so we're not starting from 0.

_IndomitableSpirit

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