Introducing the Handyverse

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The next step in the interactive Handy experience.

We haven’t been happy with our connectivity app — HandyConnect — for some time now. Its flow was confusing, the iOS version had many issues, and the design was dated — but it was “good enough” to have users get their Handys online and gave us breathing room to focus on other parts of our development roadmap.

Now we are happy to say that we’ll be bringing an overhauled app to both Android and iOS to get the Handy connected to the Internet as easily as possible.

The new app is based on an entirely different architecture and will allow us to deploy fixes and new features on a more regular schedule. That said, we’ll be releasing the new app in two stages, as detailed below.

Stage 1 — Out Now

The first version of the Handyverse app is out now — available for Android and iOS. It replicates all the functions of the HandyConnect app, while adding a few improvements like:

  • Simpler connection flow
  • Faster Bluetooth pairing
  • Detection of multiple nearby Handy devices
  • Ability to provision the Handy to hidden Wi-Fi networks
  • HandyFeeling connection testing as the final step of Wi-Fi configuration
  • Better crash analytics to help us identify bugs and compatibility issues

The older HandyConnect app will remain on the Google Playstore and the Apple Appstore for a while as a backup for some time. Nonetheless, we recommend all Handy users make the switch to the Handyverse app because…

Stage 2 — Q4 2022 to Q1 2023

With stage 2 of the Handyverse, we will bring all the features of HandyFeeling into the app, including local video playback, random stroke generation, and the remote control.

Additionally, our new architecture will allow us to begin work on a number of experimental features we’ve had at the back of our heads, including: voice control, pattern creation, touch-screen-based Handy movement, among others.

These new developments will also make it over into the desktop version of what is currently HandyFeeling, including a new WebBLE feature, which allows configuring a Handy using a browser for Chromium-based browsers.

Our grand vision is to have the Handyverse contain all the tools for Handy users to get the most out of the hardware. We’ll have more development news in the coming months!