bigboote, that hub power hack is exactly what I've been looking for.

Has anyone done that with a Cyberpower 420MP battery powered hub? I bought one to use with a keyboard but I don't have the experience poking around inside electronics to figure out how to hack it myself.
In order for the hack to work, do you have to connect the upstream port to the 5V, or can you connect any port to the 5V and plug the 770 into that? I've looked at some usb specs and diagrams but I can't figure that out. I'm afraid that the points that need soldering might be hidden underneath a small pcb that I can't figure out how to remove so it may not matter anyway. I think if it can be hacked in the way bigboote hacked that Vakoss hub, it'll be the ideal solution for on-the-go 770 usb connectivity. Maybe I can get a picture of the hub's layout later...

Some years ago, I ran across a shop in NYC that would custom make a cable for you with the specific adaptor ends you needed. Been so long ago now that I don't remember who they were.

Must be other users around who would rather not do the splicing themselves -- does anyone know a shop who would do this for us?

Edited later to add:
I think the place in New York was Cables and Chips. At any rate, there IS a shop by this name in New York now. I've emailed them with specifics to see what they would charge for such a custom cable.

Roger -- I used that place back in the late 80s. Two custom cables. Didn't work. Had the mailroom guy look at them -- soldering was bad! He fixed it and they worked. I can't recall the name right now... when I do, I'll post it.

If you send me one for Xmas, I can tell you how to hack it...

Consider buying a mini-multimeter from Radio Shack. They're cheap and no nerd should exist without one (and if you're not a nerd, why do you own a 770?). They have a "continuity tester", which means it beeps when you touch both probes to a continuous wire. Very handy for tracing, for example, the circuit path from the upstream USB power pin to a handy solder spot on the board.

And, to answer your question: you need to send power back specifically to the 770, which must be connected to the downstream (ie host) socket.

In case, anyone wants to mess with the Vakoss hub, I've added a closer-up pic to the original post that should make it clear where to solder the wire.

OK, I've caught up on this KB thread. Let me see if I have this correct:

1) A USB keyboard will not work out of the box

2) The 770 must have its Flash modified to enable host mode

3) Even after that, a USB keyboard will not work out of the box

4) A USB hub (only AC-powered ones were mentioned/tried) has to be modified to provide power back to the 770

-or-

5) A set of USB cables have to be modified in such a way that the 770 gets power

This all correct?

I'm disappointed that Nokia didn't think of allowing a USB keyboard. Well, most likely they did and there is some technical reason they decided against it.

As for me, I fondled the Stowaway BT KB -- and hated it. It seesaws on a platform and the keyfeel is too hard. I'd need to fondle the Nokia BT KB before deciding to get it. What I'd *really* like is the USB Zippy 610 KB. It has wonderful keyfeel and their placement seems to be custom-made for my hands. Help! Make this so!

How about these weird little keyboards:

http://www.hackerstickers.com/produc...oard-usb.shtml

They come in both bluetooth and USB. You can type one handed leaving the other hand free for, errr, other stuff I guess :)

Yep, that's the story, and yeah, it sucks (except for folks with the knowledge to hack around it). One thing that really bugs me about the 770 is how hard it is for regular folk to do some of these simple things.

For example, with my USB hub hack you can use an unaltered USB keyboard, but you still have to run the flasher tool to enable host mode. But for that you need a linux box (there's no Windows version of the flasher, right?), which not many people have. I created a dual boot XP/Linux config just so I could hack on my 770, but I don't think the kind of people the 770 is targeted for would be willing or capable of doing this.

Yes, the lack of a Windows flasher (even a command-line one, which should be enough to keep most clueless users at bay, if that's really what Nokia is afraid of...) is a drag.
OTOH, I expect flashing should work from a Linux LiveCD such as Knoppix, which is less drastic than repartitioning and dual-booting :-)

ARGH! Nokia, please give us mortals USB keyboard ability!

Anyone got that Nokia BT KB? How's its touch?

Live and cold via free 770...

Typing this from the SOHO Apple Store.

I had a brainstorm: *Apple* has a BT keyboard. Could I get that to work with the 770?

No.

1) Open BT Connection
2) Searches and brings up a sh*tload of BT devices
3) Shows the Apple Keyboard
4) Select and click OK
5) It wants a 4-digit passcode entered into the "phone" it is connecting to!
6) HTF do I get *that* into the Apple keyboard?

Result: Failure.

And, yes, I *did* have the BT KB "hack" installed (in fact, I installed it after remembering I hadn't, after the first try to pair with the Apple KB).

Anyone have any clue as to how to make this work?

For God's sake, I do not not NOT want to be limited to that Stowaway BT KB. The keys *suck* and it wobbles!

S.O.S.

edited to add:

BTW, the Apple Store went above and beyond the call of duty to try to make this work. Got a KB from the Genius Bar to try. Contrast that to the eejit salesdroid at J&R who said it would take "several hours" to "requisition" batteries for their demo Apple BT KB. Dope!

Reggie, I think this thread should be a Sticky!