Android!

[schild]

Out of nowhere my N1 has decided to get nearly no signal 99% of the time. Yanking out the battery and restarting it fixes the problem for about 30 minutes. I get voicemails hours after they are left for me. Pretty sure I missed out on a date last night. Rad.

[Xuri]

No such issues yet on my N1. No recently installed updates or apps that could be interfering?

In other news, I finally tired of waiting for Videotron to push out the 2.2.1 update to my phone and instead flashed a stock Google ROM - after which the phone updated to 2.2.1 build FRG83D within 5 minutes. I do not get why Videotron insist on spoon-feeding these updates to their customers, but I'm glad my phone is no longer within reach of their grubby little hands. One of the main reasons why I got this phone was because of the direct Android updatese, but when Videotron then holds back those updates for more than 2 1/2 months... bah. Fuck 'em.

[ashrik]

A lot of people seem sure that they're going to push an OTA update to 2.3 Gingerbread on the T-mobile G2, but I haven't seen anything that made it sound certain. I'm using a really old Nokia and was considering either the G2 or the Nexus S upgrade. Are there any G2 users here who are satisfied with their purchase? Or should I wait until the 16th for the NS?

[pohsyb]

I have a G2 and I am am satisfied.

Haven't gotten an update yet though.

[Hawkbit]

I'm almost done with my first year on this contract with Sprint.  They're allowing me to reup for a new 2year soon with a credit on my current phone for a reasonable deal.  I got an HTC Hero about a year ago and it's been nothing but a pain in the ass.  Initially it was great, but I suspect it had memory management issues.  My wife's Iphone 3gs screams next to my Hero in doing web searching.

So...  I'm looking for a new phone.  The Evo and Epic look decent, but I've found that I'm just not using the apps that much (at all).  Can anyone recommend a good, solid Sprint network phone that has web access and a button keyboard?  I don't need to watch movies, just to check movie times and maps n' such. 

[KallDrexx]

So the new Google Maps has been released, and the videos look awesome, but for the life of me I can't get it to work anywhere near as well as that in real life. 

Took me 4 tries to get it to tilt downward, no 3d (maybe no 3d info for the area) and I couldn't get it to rotate with the device or even rotate while tilted at all.

[Vaiti]

Are you sure you have Google Maps 5.0? It's only been released on a couple devices at the moment. I'm still waiting for it to hit the HTC Desire.

[KallDrexx]

Yep I just updated it to version 5, and I can tilt it, it's just a pain in the ass.

Orig Moto Droid here.

[ffc]

I also have Maps 5.0 on my N1 with the same issues amounting to 1/3 of the awesome in the video: tilting yes, 3d no (or outside of 3d area although I searched NYC and got nothing), rotation no.

[Vaiti]

Just hit the Desire last night. XDA is saying some of those features like tilt and rotation depend on the hardware. Desire for instance only has pinch to zoom rather than true multitouch. So rotation etc; don't work. Or something like that.

[MuffinMan]

Took me 4 tries to get it to tilt downward, no 3d (maybe no 3d info for the area) and I couldn't get it to rotate with the device or even rotate while tilted at all.

It's most lilkely that there is no 3d info for your area. Don't know what city you're in but I'm sure they only have things modeled for semi-major cities and up.

[Quinton]

Yeah, the building models are not available in every city.  Search for Chicago, IL or San Francisco, CA for examples of places where there are some nice examples of this if you just want to see if it works or not.

You do need a touchpanel that does true multitouch for 2+ points for tilt and rotate to work. 

[pohsyb]

Semi-Android related.  I just received a CR-48 today!  The hardware is pure sex.  Not sure how to develop on it yet...

[KallDrexx]

Swype Beta Open for everyone 

[schild]

Semi-Android related.  I just received a CR-48 today!  The hardware is pure sex.  Not sure how to develop on it yet...

 

[Mosesandstick]

I'm thinking of getting an android because I'd like a phone which I can use as an organiser (and other things). Any recommendations on how to choose one out of the plethora of choices? Simple works me.

[Salamok]

Semi-Android related.  I just received a CR-48 today!  The hardware is pure sex.  Not sure how to develop on it yet...

Put ubuntu on it.

[Vision]

I just got an HTC incredible for Xmas, and was looking at rooting it, but have no idea what in the hell I'm doing. As opposed to fucking up a decently good phone, are there any must have apps/widgets/things I should do to make it awesome? But more importantly, how?

[Vaiti]

Honestly Vision? I wouldn't bother rooting it. I rooted my HTC Desire for one reason and one reason alone. For BT HiD to use a BT keyboard.

Other than that I'm not really all that impressed with the custom ROM's out there over what you can do with Sense as it is. By rooting you also risk warranty and the ability to resell it. I just didn't find all that many reasons to root it over not rooting it. Unless you happen to be developing. The Sense ROM is pretty spiffy for everyday use.

edit: And so I'm not just telling you to not root it without helping you root it if you still want to, here are some links to help you decide if you still want to root it, and to then root it.

http://forum.xda-developers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=635

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=744807

[Vision]

I have been leaning towards leaving the stock ROM as it is, as the only real complaint I see is the inability to get rid of all the bloatware that comes pre-installed. Which isn't an enromous problem, it just bugs me knowing it is there. I think I'm going to leave it as is for the time being, and if I feel I really want to root it months down the road then I suppose the newness factor will be worn off.

With that said (and not having read the previous pages, what do I ABSOLUTELY NEED to have assuming my phone isn't rooted?

[Vaiti]

Well, I'd suggest using Launcher Pro for starters. You have a Sense ROM, and that bloatware bothers you, but really, that bloatware isn't harming anything, most of it won't even be running as long as you don't start it. By installing Launcher Pro you gain the nice option of being able to hide those bloatware programs from the app launcher. Out of sight, our of mind. You won't have that nifty Sense bar anymore tho. And won't be able to use Sense based widgets. But widgets I find to be bells and whistles anyhow, and I honestly don't even really use any aside from Agenda Widget, which I have linked up to a train timetable.

[MahrinSkel]

I haven't rooted my Droid 2, although I did hack my PDANet to be a bit more stealthy, that's just because I was paranoid and getting a shit connection at home, thought they were detecting it and throttling me (no, it tops 6 mbps in downtown San Jose, without the stealth).  Most of the vendors have wised up and quit putting battery-killers on the phones that need rooting to unload.

Google Maps is actually my favorite app, if I'm in a store looking for a vacuum cleaner, I can not only find it cheaper, but I know exactly how far I'd have to drive to save $15 on the same model.  At $3/gallon plus hassle factor, I bought the one in front of me.

--Dave

[fuser]

Dell has unlocked streak on for $399 with no contract, mighty tempting for some cross border shopping. Worried about the battery life but my current iPhone 3g cannot pass a 36hrs on a single charge so I'm use to nightly charging.

Any opinions on the device?

[Vision]

Well, I'd suggest using Launcher Pro for starters. You have a Sense ROM, and that bloatware bothers you, but really, that bloatware isn't harming anything, most of it won't even be running as long as you don't start it. By installing Launcher Pro you gain the nice option of being able to hide those bloatware programs from the app launcher. Out of sight, our of mind. You won't have that nifty Sense bar anymore tho. And won't be able to use Sense based widgets. But widgets I find to be bells and whistles anyhow, and I honestly don't even really use any aside from Agenda Widget, which I have linked up to a train timetable.

Did you get the paid version or the free one? I ask because there is an added widget app in the marketplace, but this is different than the launcher pro plus which it directs me to paypal to buy.

[Vision]

Bastard double post from my Android...

[KallDrexx]

Did you get the paid version or the free one? I ask because there is an added widget app in the marketplace, but this is different than the launcher pro plus which it directs me to paypal to buy.

I use the free one just fine.  I <3 launcher pro (though that's because Google's launcher blows chunks and ADW is slow as hell)

[Vaiti]

Just use the free one. Paid version gets you Sense like widgets and the ability to resize any widget.
I actually like Zeam the most, but it lacks the ability to hide apps so I stick with Launcher Pro myself.

[Vision]

I've been messing around in Launcher Pro, and havent figured out how to hide apps. Is it like a hold on the app type deal?

[Vaiti]

menu, preferences, general settings, hidden apps

It will give a list of the apps and you checkbox the ones you want to hide.

[Quinton]

Some early looks at Android 3.0 -- note that the UI here is from hdmi out and is real, not simulated -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPUGNCIozp0

http://googlemobile.blogspot.com/2011/01/sneak-peak-of-android-30-honeycomb.html

Honeycomb is the next version of the Android platform, designed from the ground up for devices with larger screen sizes, particularly tablets. We’ve spent a lot of time refining the user experience in Honeycomb, and we’ve developed a brand new, truly virtual and holographic user interface. Many of Android’s existing features will really shine on Honeycomb: refined multi-tasking, elegant notifications, access to over 100,000 apps on Android Market, home screen customization with a new 3D experience and redesigned widgets that are richer and more interactive. We’ve also made some powerful upgrades to the web browser, including tabbed browsing, form auto-fill, syncing with your Google Chrome bookmarks, and incognito mode for private browsing.

Honeycomb also features the latest Google Mobile innovations including Google Maps 5 with 3D interactions and offline reliability, access to over 3 million Google eBooks, and Google Talk, which now allows you to video and voice chat with any other Google Talk enabled device (PC, tablet, etc).

Moto's Xoom tablet device: http://www.motorola.com/staticfiles/Consumers/US-EN/XOOM/index.html

[Oban]

I wish someone would make either an Iridium or Inmarsat handset that ran the Android OS.

[bhodi]

Anything cool getting shown off at CES? Roommate's headed there tomorrow and I want to know if there's anything to tell him to poke at.

[Quinton]

I know we're doing some demos, but not sure exactly where/when.  CES is not our big show -- we usually have a much stronger presence at MWC.

[KallDrexx]

While that Honeycomb video is cool, it seems Google has still not learned anything about UI consistency.  Every application they showed off has different UI standards (color schemes, background, selection controls, etc...).  The launcher itself even looks inconsistent with itself when it goes to widget selection (which looks horrible to navigate if you have a lot of apps and widgets installed).  Looks cool in video, but I am wary of it's actual implementation and usage.

[pohsyb]

So will honeycomb be exclusively for tablets or will it also retain backwards compatibility with smartphones?