Android!

[schild]

I don't think I'm capable of being away from a USB port that could charge the phone for a 24 hour period. That seems.... weird to me.

I'm pretty angry that I can't find a way to kill an app that's running though. I don't understand how this feature is missing and it only started bothering me yesterday as one app just kept itself in use and visibly hurt the battery life.

[Quinton]

I'm pretty angry that I can't find a way to kill an app that's running though. I don't understand how this feature is missing and it only started bothering me yesterday as one app just kept itself in use and visibly hurt the battery life.

Well the system will force apps to quit if you uninstall them...

But yes, this is an annoying limitation.  We had a lot less memory available until shortly before ship, which reduced the number of apps that would end up surviving in the background, making it less likely to see issues like this.  It's an issue that will be addressed in a future version of the system.

The system design is intended to not have the user worry about if apps are actually running or not (correct apps save state when they go into the background and can be killed by the system as needed to reclaim resources).  Obviously in the face of misbehaving apps this breaks down a little.

As far as 24 hours go, for a heavy user on an always-connected smartphone with active sync, etc, that's certainly a possibility.  For such devices, I've always considered 24hr adequate (you can make it through a day, charge overnight), 48hr nice (you can forget to charge one night and still be fine), and 72hr about the holy grail (you can go away for a weekend and not bring a charger).

[KallDrexx]

...and 72hr about the holy grail (you can go away for a weekend and not bring a charger).

And that is really the #1 reason why I just have a normal flip phone.

When I can use one of these phones reasonably and not have to charge for 2-3 days I will go out and get one.

What webpage? I really haven't experienced that. As mentioned, battery is pretty poopy, but mine lasted all day today and I had the GPS on.

It was facebook.  Although too be fair, I don't think T-Mobile has 3g here in orlando yet.

[Sky]

I don't think I'm capable of being away from a USB port that could charge the phone for a 24 hour period. That seems.... weird to me.

You city folk. You funny.

I think this would be a great device if not for the battery issues. I'd love to take it back into the mountains and have gps and mapping and be able to look up historical facts of the region, reference tree species, etc. Assuming I could get a signal, of course.

I hope in ten years or so there might be such a device and signal, but meh. I'm perfectly fine with a map and compass and no fucking phone :)

[Draegan]

I think I'm stupid.

How do you use the GPS thing on here?  Google Maps wasn't doing anything for me.  Am I completely missing a button here?

[Draegan]

This damn thing keeps tyring to sign me into MSN when I'm using it on my desktop.  Son of a bitch.

[sidereal]

MSN, eh?  Desktop, what?  It doesn't come with a desktop app.  As far as I know, the only thing you can do with on a desktop is browse its filesystem and drop mp3s in there.

Quinton: I know your specs and averages say what they say, but I shit you not I burned a battery from full to empty in 7 hours doing absolutely nothing.  I was asleep.  A quick review of the t-mobile message boards will reveal that this is a pretty common experience, although not universal.  I suspect it's a misbehaving app or combination of features that made it through testing.  Maybe Google Maps isn't getting swapped out of memory and is continually looking for a GPS fix if GPS is enabled.

I will say that since the system update and since I turned off e-mail sync (but keep in mind my gmail account gets like 10 emails a day) my battery life has gone way up.  I can go 2 days now without charging with decent use (occasional browsing, map checking, and calling), despite leaving WiFi and 3G on.  I leave GPS off if I'm not using it.

[Draegan]

My Desktop computer.  I actually had to sign on then sign off for it to stop auto logging me in so I can use it on my computer.

I can't even find my GPS to turn it on and off.

End:  I just figured out I had to turn on sataliette tracking thing.

[Quinton]

Quinton: I know your specs and averages say what they say, but I shit you not I burned a battery from full to empty in 7 hours doing absolutely nothing.  I was asleep.  A quick review of the t-mobile message boards will reveal that this is a pretty common experience, although not universal.  I suspect it's a misbehaving app or combination of features that made it through testing.  Maybe Google Maps isn't getting swapped out of memory and is continually looking for a GPS fix if GPS is enabled.

There are definitely folks seeing some not-so-hot battery life and there are people investigating these issues.  One of the big things I hope we can get into an upcoming release is better tools to help users figure out just what's running down the battery ("oh, the SuperSocialFriendFinder is recording audio every 3 minutes and posting it uuencoded to twitter!", etc)

I will say that since the system update and since I turned off e-mail sync (but keep in mind my gmail account gets like 10 emails a day) my battery life has gone way up.  I can go 2 days now without charging with decent use (occasional browsing, map checking, and calling), despite leaving WiFi and 3G on.  I leave GPS off if I'm not using it.

That's good to hear.  If your mail traffic is that light, sync may not have been your issue.

[Hoax]

My Android experience:

Front desk girl @ the brokerage is a friend of mine.  Myself and the two other most tech savvy agents in the office have been telling her to get a G1 for months.  She has a sidekick she hates because it fucks things up by storing everything on the sidekick network then breaking her text logs, or contacts or whatever from time to time for shits.

She early adopted the G1, I was worried that it would be fugly, whoever was responsible for the "leaked" photos that made the screen look like it wasn't even parallel to the keyboard when it was up should be shot.  I think many people expected the phone to be terrible in the looks dept.  Its not.  It does feel plastic but not too cheap/chinese, close though.  The hinge that the screen pops up with feels like something I could break when drunk.  The phone itself looks good, the keyboard feels good but I don't have a kb atm so honestly that means nothing.  Fucking iphone virtual kb sucks cock though, I've used one many times.

Quick anecdote on how G1 makes people better humans:
So she wants to setup ringtones, asks me how to do it.  I say, you can make anything a ringtone now!  She finds out that if she just uses a song, the lyrics will hardly have started before the ring ends.  So she says, this sucks I miss paying $2 for a ringtone and getting what I want.  Waitwaitwait, I install Audacity on her laptop, show her in 5 clicks how to chop up any mp3 into a nice ringtone sized bite and save it.  Then she has any part of any mp3 she could ever want as a ringtone.

Android itself, is well, like Chrome.  Its fucking fast.  I mean really fast w/ 3G on.  Wow so damn fast.

The only app that she has complained about so far is that the G1 can't do like the iPhone and show her voicemails in a list and let her pick which one to listen to.  I really want one.  Though I think there will be much better hardware it comes on.  Also I'm on ATT.  Which is choking on Apple's dick and refuses to release anything decent for fear of giving me an alternative to the goddamn iPhone.  I heard Motorola is making Android phone(s), I think that is my next phone.

[schild]

The picking a voicemail feature probably won't exist due to T-Mobiles network, perhaps another carrier will have it. I just don't think their voicemail can work in that way without major changes.

As for my next phone, if I have the money and Sony-Ericsson releases one, I'd probably get that. BUT WHY, you say. Well, sure, Sony is having HTC make some of their phones, but their build quality is fucking fantastic, they simply demand higher quality than HTC does. That said, still love my phone, for really the first time ever. I *liked* my A900 and I definitely liked my neopoint back in the day, but this phone I fucking love.

This is the neopoint btw.



heh

[Krakrok]

Callwave has a service that replaces your T-Mobile voicemail. When someone leaves a voicemail it sends it to you as an email with a WAV of the message attached. I can't figure out how to sign up for it on their website anymore though. Apparently GrandCentral has a similar service and it's owned by Google now.

[schild]

Quick anecdote on how G1 makes people better humans:
So she wants to setup ringtones, asks me how to do it.  I say, you can make anything a ringtone now!  She finds out that if she just uses a song, the lyrics will hardly have started before the ring ends.  So she says, this sucks I miss paying $2 for a ringtone and getting what I want.  Waitwaitwait, I install Audacity on her laptop, show her in 5 clicks how to chop up any mp3 into a nice ringtone sized bite and save it.  Then she has any part of any mp3 she could ever want as a ringtone.

More like you download Ringdroid and learn the easiest way EVER to chop up an MP3. Ringdroid is a free app in the marketplace btw.

[Draegan]

So tell me how to make the GPS work step by step because I can't get it to actually do anything.

[schild]

There aren't steps. Just make sure 3G and GPS locational tracking is checked on in the settings and open the map and click my location.

[Sky]

There aren't steps. Just make sure 3G and GPS locational tracking is checked on in the settings and open the map and click my location.

That's several steps.

[schild]

There aren't steps. Just make sure 3G and GPS locational tracking is checked on in the settings and open the map and click my location.

That's several steps.

Maybe if I were explaining it to a 70 year old lady or trying to educate. Most likely, he has these done and he's getting some sort of "Your location cannot be established" error. If he had gone further, I would've responded with, just walk outside.

[sidereal]

Walking definitely requires steps

[schild]

Walking definitely requires steps

:internet_punch:

[Ingmar]

WTB Exchange functionality.

[Draegan]

I've done this.  I check "Enable GPS satellites" goto maps, hit my location and my house as I leave work.  My location never changes once it locks down on my starting position.  I have to manually update it.

I have to be doing something wrong.

[Sky]

It's funnier when I picture you as McCain trying to figure it out.

And then punching someone out in frustration.

[schild]

I've done this.  I check "Enable GPS satellites" goto maps, hit my location and my house as I leave work.  My location never changes once it locks down on my starting position.  I have to manually update it.

I have to be doing something wrong.

What other settings are toggled in the GPS area? Also, do you have "use wifi locationing" or whatever set also? Or anything like that.

[Draegan]

I've done this.  I check "Enable GPS satellites" goto maps, hit my location and my house as I leave work.  My location never changes once it locks down on my starting position.  I have to manually update it.

I have to be doing something wrong.

What other settings are toggled in the GPS area? Also, do you have "use wifi locationing" or whatever set also? Or anything like that.

Well it worked finally.  I guess something was messed up last time.

Ah well.

Also, I demand a NES emulator for my G1 like RIGHT NOW.

The Hudson Cardgames you can get on the market are money.  Perfect for nes graphics and sound.

[Draegan]

Zombie Run is the best App ever.

Yes.  EVER.

hahahah it's awesome.

[Salamok]

Callwave has a service that replaces your T-Mobile voicemail. When someone leaves a voicemail it sends it to you as an email with a WAV of the message attached. I can't figure out how to sign up for it on their website anymore though. Apparently GrandCentral has a similar service and it's owned by Google now.

The fun part about this is it sends a WAV, there was a period where none of these damn phones could play a wav file (mpeg yes wav no), fortunately the newer phones coming out have started to remedy this.  I would think that the iPhone & the G1 should be fine but you never know until you try, Blackberry didn't add wav support until the pearl and I haven't seen a windows phone that will play it yet (been a year since i seriously looked though).

[schild]

Hmm. 99% sure my HTC Mogul (8600) could play a wav. Think I dropped one on there in fact.

[Trippy]

Android reboots when you type "reboot":

http://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=1207

http://blogs.zdnet.com/Burnette/?p=680

Nice bug there Quinton

[bhodi]

heh. Another link: http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2008/11/incredibly-dang.html

OOPS!

How did THAT get through QA? 

[schild]

I just typed reboot and pressed enter. It...

returned 29,800,000 results.

[Quinton]

Android reboots when you type "reboot":

http://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=1207

http://blogs.zdnet.com/Burnette/?p=680

Nice bug there Quinton

Embarrassing as hell.  Kinda mind-boggling that we didn't catch it before ship.  Fixed now in RC30 (which the vast majority of hardware has these days).

[Trippy]

Regarding unlocked devices -- we're working on a plan to have somebody sell non-network-locked devices with engineering bootloaders (no restrictions on system software install) to interested developer/haxxor/hobbiest types.  Details not yet finalized, but we're working on it.

$399 for a "developer" phone plus a $25 fee for signing up for the developer's program:

http://www.mobilecrunch.com/2008/12/05/google-launches-android-dev-phone/

[Quinton]

Regarding unlocked devices -- we're working on a plan to have somebody sell non-network-locked devices with engineering bootloaders (no restrictions on system software install) to interested developer/haxxor/hobbiest types.  Details not yet finalized, but we're working on it.

$399 for a "developer" phone plus a $25 fee for signing up for the developer's program:
http://www.mobilecrunch.com/2008/12/05/google-launches-android-dev-phone/

Yup.  Pity we couldn't get it launched earlier, but sometimes these things take time to get sorted out.  Overseas shipping includes customs/taxes and is, unfortunately, pretty insane.

http://code.google.com/android/dev-devices.html

The developer hardware is the same base platform as the G1, with slightly different skinning (notably some art on the back cover), a radio that is not network-locked, and an engineering bootloader that speaks the fastboot protocol which allows complete reflash of the system software via USB.

Note that 3G will work in Europe, Japan, etc, but *not* on AT&T's network in the US (you'll get GSM/EDGE), due to AT&T and TMO running on different bands.

Happy Hacking,

- Q

[Trippy]

Note that 3G will work in Europe, Japan, etc, but *not* on AT&T's network in the US (you'll get GSM/EDGE), due to AT&T and TMO running on different bands.

Glad you mentioned that.

[bhodi]

The USA gets screwed again :(

Hopefully google's going to do something with all that dark fiber and part of that spectrum they purchased...