I apologize if this sounds dumb but ... who the hell still uses Nokia? My first cell phone was a Nokia about 10 years ago. Yes 10 years ago this Christmas ...
Haven't had a Nokia phone since ...
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I apologize if this sounds dumb but ... who the hell still uses Nokia? My first cell phone was a Nokia about 10 years ago. Yes 10 years ago this Christmas ...
Haven't had a Nokia phone since ...
Can't wait for flash to be rolled out on Android. Porn!
Is that a reflection of Luke?
If Luke was balding and had facial hair, then maybe. :PQuote:
Originally Posted by Sylvester
Google is really pushing computer to smartphone integration now. It's really powerful to be able to find a place on your computer - click a button and have your phone automatically come to life and go into Google Navigation mode. On Android 2.1 I use the ability to "star" items in google searches and google maps so they show up on my phone all the time. It's much better compared to the old way of typing the address into your phone manually.
Naya:
Since you got a Android phone thought I would post some of my favorite apps.
How to use QR codes
Google Voice: Best voicemail system available. You can get a invite on ebay if you don't know someone that has one available.
http://chart.apis.google.com/chart?c...ps.googlevoice
Dropbox: Makes a folder on your laptop or computer - whatever you drop into it shows up on your phone (2gb for free)
http://chart.apis.google.com/chart?c...ropbox.android
Audio Manager: Control all the different sound volumes on your phone. Includes a widget and profiles if you upgrade for $2
http://chart.apis.google.com/chart?c...ps.audiowidget
Barcode Scanner: Allows you to scan these boxes and go right to the app in the market (several scanners will do this). Shopper by google also works well.
http://chart.apis.google.com/chart?c...client.android
Handcent: Best text messaging app available. Install it and then turn off the built in Android text message notifications etc. Very customizable - will blink different colors, durations, repeat notifications etc.
http://chart.apis.google.com/chart?c...m.handcent.sms
Mixzing: Better music player for Android with nice widget options.
http://chart.apis.google.com/chart?c....mixzing.basic
Pandora: Streaming music for free. Everyone pretty much knows what this is about.
http://chart.apis.google.com/chart?c...andora.android
Weatherbug: Weather with nice widgets.
http://chart.apis.google.com/chart?c...om.aws.android
ASTRO: File manager for Android. This should come standard.
http://chart.apis.google.com/chart?c...m.metago.astro
Honorable Mention Apps:
Google Buzz - widget
Google Sky Maps - star maps
Mint.com - personal finance
Mediafly - podcasts
Photoshop Mobile - photoshop
Remote RDP - remote desktop app
SNesoid - SNES emulator
Fandango
Google Gesture Search - draw on your screen to search your phone
Google MyTrack - track your runs or bike rides and sync with googlemaps
Nesoid Lite - Nes emulator
Google Earth
Adobe Reader - I like it better then the built in adobe viewer
Doubletwist is what you need to sync your itunes or mps to your Android phone - it installs on your computer.
Tip:
When logged into your gmail account on your desktop computer if you do a google search or google maps search - when the results come up there is a little dimmed star by each one. If you click the star next to your destination or search result it will show up on your phone in a few seconds. If you hit the navigation app there is a starred option - they show up under there.
Google Talk: If you plan to use google talk on your phone (came preinstalled on the droid) sign into gmail on your computer go into the "labs" area and turn on the "green robot" feature. This makes your online indicator a robot when you are logged in on your phone. Not sure if it work since you and Luke will be my first gtalk friends with android phones.
do you guys like your droid phones? i have the one made by motorola and i hate it. i've always had pretty cheap phones, but i finally decided to get something cool. i'm sure all the apps are great (though i don't use many) but as a phone, i think it's terrible. a good 10% of the time when i make a call, i hear nothing after i hit send. no ringing, nothing on the other end, nada. the person i called heard a ring, answered, and then there was nothing on my side. i always have to call back. maybe i got a dud, i dunno. i also run into a problem where it will drop a call when i'm in the middle of talking to someone and show 0 bars of service. when the call is over, i'll have 4 bars. as soon as i redial, i'm back to 0. all i want is a phone that works and also has a web browser
I have the Moto Droid and I actually think the phone on it is really good. But Lyncher you are the 2nd person in a week that I know to have reported the phone being shitty. I came from a VX6900 smartphone and a Motorola Q before that which both had horrible phones so made it's just relatively better. I don't think I have ever dropped a call on my phone and I think the quality is very good. Reception is about 50% over the VX6900 I had previously (I get reception in my basement now) You might consider exchanging it with Verizon or getting the HTC incredible Android phone if you have the cash.
I typically use my phone for 90% web and app usage and 10% phone calls.
Thanks for the app list, Scott.
I use Dropbox already, its awesome. I'll definitely get it added to my phone and check out the other apps as well.
Edit: I love this phone, forgot to mention that.
Edit 2: I can't use Google Voice, it hates Sprint and won't let me set it up because Sprint isn't configured for it or something of that nature. Its installed and looks like it can be used, but during the initial setup it said that my carrier wasn't configured to let Google Voice work. Oh well. All the other apps are fantastic.
Looks like there is an additional step:
http://www.google.com/voice/sprintQuote:
Using Google Voice with a phone
Starting mid-November 2009, Sprint is enabling free conditional call forwarding on its network, allowing you to use Google voicemail with your Sprint phone number. (Standard charges will continue to apply for immediate call forwarding.) 1
Note: Until Sprint updates your account, Google Voice with your existing number may not work or you may be charged every time someone leaves a voicemail.
After enabling Google Voice on your Sprint mobile phone, calls you miss or ignore will be redirected to your Google Voice account. Additionally, you'll be able to access your voicemail online, read voicemail transcripts, and get notified by email or SMS every time you get a new voicemail.
I finally saw a EVO at Best Buy. At first I thought it was huge but after holding up a Blackberry curve to it - they are surprisingly similar in width. The EVO is pretty slim however. Definitely a different form-factor.Quote:
Originally Posted by Naya
So what's your review of Android so far? Find any good widgets etc yet?
"SHTOP WHINING"Quote:
Originally Posted by Klaus
I like soundboards :)
I found a little app that lets me clip mp3's for ring tones. I like that one quite a bit. I also found a wow armory app/widget. And I use the built in "Power" widget that lets me turn off/on wi-fi, gps, and bluetooth. And the advanced task killer is a great battery saver.
The ONLY negative about this phone is that if you're constantly using it (kinda like I am right now because I'm still learning) you drain the batter quite quickly. It lasts about a day.
I bet if I didn't mess with it all day, it would last longer.
Other than those apps, and the ones you mentioned, I haven't found much else besides some silly games (solitare, brick breaker, tetris).
All the apps I'm using now are free. I have yet to change my plan away from my dad's to Luke's, which we're doing tonight.
If you are getting a day out of a charge that's pretty good actually. Michelle's Eris gets a day with light use and I barely get a day but I have tons of apps running all the time.
Try to use WiFi and stay away from widgets that auto refresh like weather and news. Or just put chargers all over like I do :) I like most of the apps I have at the cost of battery life. Any application that is "push" like gmail and google voice don't take much juice.
I was about to try the Tapatalk app but the demo is the only free version. I might try it later after moving to Luke's plan.
Btw best way to buy stuff in the market is to go into your gmail account and set up a credit card on google check out.
Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk
I will say that Sprint puts a TON of unwanted shit on their phones that you can't get rid of. Verizon puts on a voicemail deal and that's it. 4 hours on a charge is a problem but I doubt that's typical - Luke/Gina?
I am having noticeable problems with battery life, actually. I had my phone fully charged before I went to the Twins game last night. I did use it some to show my parents a few cool things, and to take and post a couple pics on Facebook. I also called Jeanna once.
By the time I woke up this morning it was dead. I had it on the car charger for 30 min on my way to work, and that only got it up to about 15% power. It is now dead again after only using it a couple times this morning.
I would say it probably only lasts 4 hrs if you are using it constantly... that seems about right. Otherwise, it will be dead after a day of normal use.
I don't know if this is in line with other smart phones like the iPhone or the NexusOne. Maybe Eric can comment on his iPhone.
The size was an issue for me at first, but I am getting used to it. I still think I would like a slightly smaller phone a bit better, like the iPhone or Incridible. If they have a significantly longer battery life, that would be a definite plus for those phones. The only real advantage of this phone is the large screen (if that is important for you) and the 8MP camera, which does take nice pics. It does also have a pretty cool multitasking and notification feature.
I dunno... the iPhone4 may be better, but who knows since it isnt out yet.
For me the size is actually a plus. I want a bigger phone with a nice big touch screen. I always thought the iPhones were too small.
I guess we will see how it plays out. I do think i should be able to get 16hrs out of moderate use of a phone. I realize in todays world of phones expecting to not have to charge the phone every night is asking a lot when you want all the bells and whistles and use them a fair ammount. But 4 hours?! Yikes!
Under "moderate" use, I think you get 16+ hrs with this phone, like I said. However, if you are using it constantly for a few hours by browsing internet, posting stuff, calls, messaging, playing music, looking stuff up using gps, etc... then I think it is dead in 4-5 hrs no problem.
In my experience so far though, you basically have to have it plugged in anytime you are in the car, and overnight, in order to for sure keep it powered consistently. It sounds like Scott's experience is very much the same with his Droid phone. I would be interested to hear from an iPhone user.
I have not had a single problem with this phone (granted I've only had it a week).
Yes, battery life is short. I don't know why, not sure what to say, but I don't really care. My past couple phones have all had short battery lives. I've just learned to have chargers near by. I don't see that to be a big deal either.
Honestly, if you're at work and you're dicking around with your phone all day and running the battery out in a matter of a couple hours (like I did the first day after I got it), I would call that a "stress test". But if you're doing NORMAL use, it lasts all day. I have no problem with putting the phone on charge while I'm in my car or at home.
People just like being haters. That's what I've concluded. Like how I hate Apple and Steve Jobs. :)
What bothered me about the article is that he said the OS was flaky. I've not seen an issue. Pandora locks up though, but I blame Pandora for that, not my phone.
Anybody see Steve Job's promo for the iPhone 4? And how the internet connection crapped out on it? I laughed.
If you get 4 hours of heavy use out of any smart phone you are doing good IMO. My phone lasts all day but that assumes it's sitting on my desk for most of the day. With moderate use (checking email, a bit of web surfing, talking on it) I think 6 hours is probably a good target. You just need to remember that when you get in the car to put it on the charger. I use google navigation on my way home every night to show me the traffic situation so I can pick the best route - now that drains your battery (but I plug in). Pay close attention when your phone hits 15% charge a dialog pops up and will show you what used the most juice since the last full charge. I have made several adjustments by looking at that graph - some of the Apps are poorly designed and just sit there and drain your battery.
On Engadget there was a faceoff EVO vs iPhone 4g last week. It was VERY pro EVO - and was pulled down because the editors thought it wasn't fair to post until they actually had a new iPhone to test. While I agree - it was nice to see the EVO on paper was almost better in every area.
The EVO is the flagship Android phone currently.
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget....ght-rm-eng.jpg
I didn't realize this phone was out until Brad told me last night. Looks like the best TMobile Android phone you can get (except the Nexus 1 but that's only directly from Google). Keyboard got great reviews - it's made by HTC - and in the review it lasted all day without needing a charge ;)
My other thought about the Evo vs iPhone war is that people talk about "Oh my iPhone can download music and holds a shit ton of it, what can your Android phone do?"
The same damn thing. Except I don't have to download them; USB from Phone to Computer, change the connection from USB only to Hard Disk on the phone, and then I have the device listed as Removable Storage in My Computer. Open that, find the music folder, and start copying and pasting mp's. (I could download music if I wanted to, but why pay for more music that I already have?)
iPhone's are for people who don't understand the process I just described :) Apple/Mac has always been about simplifying things, and its really dumbing people down in terms of technology. And that annoys me. I have to talk to those kinds of idiots all day -.-
My iPod plays music just fine. I really don't need a phone to do that for me too, but Pandora is fun to use every once in a while.
I haven't used an iPhone much so I can't compare the two objectively. All the information I have is from Apple-Fanboys or Android-Fanboys and their blogs comparing the two, and then my own use of the Evo.
Eric, next time we see each other, we should do our own iPhone vs Evo blog! :P
Have you tried Doubletwist yet to sync your itunes to your phone?
Luke and Gina you are super lucky. Flash 10.1 is out today for you - let the porn viewing begin!
Download here:Quote:
Love your Sprint HTC EVO 4G, but hate that it’s limited to the Flash lite player? Well, that ends today, as now you can download and install Adobe Flash 10.1 Player and start enjoying a full flash experience on your EVO 4G – all without the need to root the device, or flash the Android 2.2 Froyo OS.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=695965
Thick buttons. Pretty cool
I'll definitely download Flash 10.1 today. Maybe not for the reasons you mentioned, Scott, but I'll still get it :P
I haven't tried Doubletwist yet, mainly because I have about 13GB of music on my computer. That doesn't sound like a lot, but that's somewhere in the range of 10k songs. So I'm not sure if I want to put all my music on my phone. Especially when I have my iPod right here that holds a charge WAY longer than any phone.
I did a battery test yesterday too. I used it regularly throughout the day, and the battery only went down about a quarter. Then I left it off the charger over night. And the battery is only down about half way.
I'm convinced people are NOT using the Advanced Task Killer and they're letting applications run ALL the time. When we bought our phones at BestBuy, they sales person immediately told us to download Advanced Task Killer to save the battery.
So I don't think anybody should worry about the battery on this phone, its not out of the realm on most other smartphones.
Btw, my name is spelled Jeanna. I KNOW, its lame. Don't mean to be all "spell my name right biatch" but, I hate "Gina", makes me think of the woman from 40-Year Old Virgin, and she pronounces it like the back half of the word "vagina".
I like that ThickButtons app, its very useful.
Sorry Gina ;)
If you get a chance can you run the same test some day without advanced task killer. I used "taskiller" since I bought my phone which is similar to atk but I think it's better (try both) - it has a one icon widget that kills everything except what you exempt and tells you the amount of RAM you free up.
There is a ongoing debate within the Android community: does a task killer actually use more energy attempting to save battery life over the built in application management in Android? I have found it to be a toss up on my phone. I uninstalled taskiller a few weeks ago and I get about the same battery life. On Michelle's Eris she uses it because that phone is slow in general and it frees up RAM.
When Froyo (2.2) is released it includes music streaming from your home computer..... that's going to be pretty cool.
Chad white EVO GOGO
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget....c-best-buy.jpg
:thumbdown:
epicQuote:
Originally Posted by sylvester
Don't you mean Mitchel?Quote:
Originally Posted by Klaus
Droid X is announced next week for Verizon.... I think it's slightly bigger then the EVO ?!?
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget....ladroidx35.jpg