Friday, December 30, 2016

MAD Gaze - second look


MAD Gaze - first look 'unboxed' the MAD Gaze and set it to charging. Once that was done I started the setup - I downloaded the MAD Gaze Connector from Google Play; registered it, put on the X5 using the headband, and fired it up.  

 


After choosing the language, calibrating the touch panel, and choosing the time zone, you are then prompted to set up the WiFi connection. This is done by using the 'Connect WiFi' functionality which generates a QR code on your phone that your 'read' with the X5 to get the SSID and password information to the MAD Gaze. Here's where I hit the wall... hard!

The X5 read the QR code, and first said "Connecting" before I ended up with "Connection Failure." At this point the only options appear to be to acknowledge (OK) and rescan a QR code, since the X5 stays in "read mode" with the camera scanning for a QR code. There does not appear to be any way to get beyond this; no combination of touches or key-presses appear to do the trick (including the single finger long press that is supposed to get you to Home mode, two finger long press that is supposed to get you to Control Panel; etc., etc.). 

Worried that I had made a typo I tried again, and again, and again, and again... with the same result ever time - Connection Failure. Logging off, rebooting the phone, turning off and restarting the X5 only resulted in frustration. I wondered if there was something wrong with the QR code, so I screen captured it and read it in another QR reader.

Hmm, a couple of weird things: First, it read as a Text QR code and not a WiFi QR code. Second it appeared to 'munge' the SSID - reading as 55555mySSID; WPA/WPA2 PSK; mypassword. (it appeared to add '55555' in front of the SSID). It did the same when I tried my 'high speed' WiFi, reading as 55555mySSID_hispeed; WPA/WPA2 PSK; mypassword

Strange! Assuming that this perhaps was the cause of my connection failures, I thought I could get around this. I went to a number of online QR code generators (trying both Text and WiFi QR codes) and generated them with the appropriate information and sans the '55555.' However, the X5 rejected every one of these QR codes with the message "Invalid QR code." Apparently, they have monkeyed with the QR code for some unknown reason.

The bottom line? At this point I'm completely stymied and don't know what to try next. Googling, the Mad Gaze folks don't appear to have an online forum of any sort for questions and/or user discussion, no real FAQ, etc. There also don't seem to be any user reviews online yet to help out. Perhaps I'll put this aside for a couple of days before coming back to it to retry...

8 comments:

  1. Hello,
    I too had just received my X5 and having the same problems. I was hoping it was my home internet problem, as we have so many id's working on it, it sometimes acts real slow and sometimes difficulty connecting but rarely does it not connect. So i was giving that the benefit and upgrading my home internet within the week,and will try again, but sounds like it may not be my internet. Your problem and method is exactly as mine. I did get to the main menu/home by touching the side with 2 fingers while it was booting on.. it seem to put me on the menu options (camera, voice, settings, etc..) but kind of useless when i can't even hookup to wifi through the menu option also. Again, back to the QR code problem. Hope somebody can help out.. not too happy with this so far.

    Rob Marinic

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    Replies
    1. I left a comment on the Indiegogo page and also emailed Chelsea Miu from there asking for help. It's been 4 days and no response as of yet...

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  2. I had been hoping that if I could get to the Control Center that then I could turn the WiFi on and get the information entered via the Keyboard option... Or else use Control Center Bluetooth to connect and see if that can be used for setup...

    However, clearly the QR code working would be the easiest solution; unfortunately I don't see how that be done!

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  3. I don't know how but either pressing the buttons above or the 2 finger on side for home, but during the boot up stage when madgaze logo would go on and the loading line is increasing on the bottom, seems to have sent me to that menu area.. dont know exactly how but got in... from there on, everytime i boot up, off and on, it would send me there.. but putting wifi on, would send me back to the scan QR code and again, connection failed... i did manage to connect via hotspot on my cell phone, without scanning and some features barely worked (Not navigation and voice couldn't understand anything i said), but you cannot download anything through hotspot because you can't login via their mad gaze connector software, which it seems is only way of getting apps... really not impressed... but again will try it again once new internet is connected at home.
    Rob

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  4. Rob,
    I managed to get a WiFi connection and get my MAD gaze going, will post this weekend. Very spotty, some things work well, others not at all. Can be buggy (e.g. in the middle of a function the display tells me to do a two finger touch and I'm back to Control Center and no longer in the function. Could not get bluetooth connection. Camera to take pictures and video works; however having trouble transferring the results to my desktop (only will charge, does not recognize as a USB device; drivers fail to load); etc.

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  5. Just recieved this. It does nothing as advertised and there are like 10 apps available of which 1 of them actually works. Constantly crashing and basically just awful. Was purchased for the advertised live stream ability but i am Extremely disapointed and there is no support or forum or anything.
    The unit gets extremely hot on my face to the point i have to take it off.

    $700? are you joking this thing is garbage.

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    Replies
    1. I did a full review and concluded "the MAD Gaze X5 is to be exiled to the 'closet of misfit and expired/replaced/obsolete technology.'", see http://www.ph2dot1.com/2017/01/more-mad-gaze.html

      I bought it at the discounted, first backer price; If I had paid $700 I would have been really mad!

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  6. yeah i read your reviews and agree with what was said. I actually got in contact with Jordan Cheng the CEO and developer for Mad Gaze and he said that the youtube videos you see are for demo and marketing, none of that stuff is actually available its just what it could potentially do? Also the Live streaming feature that is one of its selling points is not even a thing. It cannot live stream and never will. Its a complete scam. This guy needs to get shut down ASAP.

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