An update on recent technical problems and more from the admin: https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/250292/on-technical-difficulties-mod-coverage-and-other-things/p1?new=1
Options
The [Android] Thread: We like portable shower buttons
Alegis
ImpeckableRegistered User regular
ImpeckableRegistered User regular
:!: This OP no longer updated. New thread here :!:
Android! Google's assault on the mobile phone market with its own OS
It's Open Source, it's awesome, and 200,000 phones running Android activate every day.
See the next post below from rndomhero for a breakdown on the current Android Phone offerings
What's new in Android 2.2? (Froyo)
The deal with task killer apps and why to avoid them:
Pimp your phone: customize your screens
Some suggestions from the Android Marketplace:
(to easily install multiple apps and check which apps we use, scroll down to the Appbrain section)
Multimedia
Communication
Text & References
Useful:
Useless but nerdy cool stuff:
System tools:
Home screen & widgets:
Games
If you want to find and explore more apps or discover which apps PAers use it's recommended you take a look at:
Appbrain!
Next up: Phone offerings!
Android! Google's assault on the mobile phone market with its own OS
It's Open Source, it's awesome, and 200,000 phones running Android activate every day.
A broad alliance of leading technology and wireless companies joined forces and announced the development of Android, the first truly open and comprehensive platform for mobile devices, on November 5, 2007. Google Inc., Intel, T-Mobile, Sprint, HTC, Qualcomm, Motorola and others have collaborated on the development of Android through the Open Handset Alliance, a multinational alliance of technology and mobile industry leaders.
This alliance shares a common goal of fostering innovation on mobile devices and giving consumers a far better user experience than much of what is available on today's mobile platforms. By providing developers a new level of openness that enables them to work more collaboratively, Android will accelerate the pace at which new and compelling mobile services are made available to consumers.
See the next post below from rndomhero for a breakdown on the current Android Phone offerings
What's new in Android 2.2? (Froyo)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAZYSVr2Bhc
List of all the new stuff in 2.2 for HTC Desire
* Speed
* App data backup
* Improved Enterprise / Exchange Support
* Push services - "Android Intent"
* Tethering / Mobile Hotspot
* Much faster browsing experience - V8 in browser
* New functionality in browser- Camera, orientation, geolocation
* Support for Adobe Flash and Adobe Air
* Search the Android Marketplace directly from Quick Search
* The ability to install applications on the SD card automatically
* One-button update or automatic update for apps
* The ability to purchase music from Android Marketplace (UPDATE: Not in 2.2. Probably 3.0)
* The ability to stream your own music from your desktop (UPDATE: Not in 2.2. Probably 3.0) Though there are apps for this
List of all the new stuff in 2.2 for HTC Desire
The deal with task killer apps and why to avoid them:
Applications 'running' in the background are not necessarily running but in a sleep state (for example apps like gmail that check every x minutes for mails). Killing these sleeping apps can lose performance as they'd have to be restarted or lose functionality (notifications).
There is a possibility some bad apps does unnecessary polling of hardware in the background. You can try to spot these using 'monitor' apps like Watchdog
so in short: Task Killers: not a good idea in general
the long story:
Android Developers Blog: Multitasking the Android Way
The effect of task killers on android
There is a possibility some bad apps does unnecessary polling of hardware in the background. You can try to spot these using 'monitor' apps like Watchdog
so in short: Task Killers: not a good idea in general
the long story:
Android Developers Blog: Multitasking the Android Way
The effect of task killers on android
Pimp your phone: customize your screens
Going to place some custom home screens posted in the thread here, as they're sleek and sexy and may serve as inspiration for us all. Post your own in the thread and let us know what you used to achieve the effect!
Silas started this whole thing
s3rial one posts his work in progress
Allforce has a groovy abstract theme going on
phekno likes his phones bloody and sweet
Silas started this whole thing
s3rial one posts his work in progress
Allforce has a groovy abstract theme going on
phekno likes his phones bloody and sweet
Some suggestions from the Android Marketplace:
(to easily install multiple apps and check which apps we use, scroll down to the Appbrain section)
Multimedia
- Shazam -Let Shazam listen to songs for 30 seconds and it will show you the name and artist of the song. (No longer free I believe unless you installed it earlier, 5 free tags a month limit. Alternatively: soundhound - also 5 tags/month limit for free version)
- Mixzing - MP3 player
- Pandora - Similar to last.fm radio. Search for an artist, stream radio of similar sounds
- Ringdroid - Easily turn any part of any mp3 into a ringtone.
Communication
- Handcent SMS and ChompSMS - Popular apps which replace the default SMS implementation, adding extra customization options.
- AndChat - IRC client for Android
Text & References
- Quickpedia - Wikipedia in mobile form
- 3banana - Take notes and sync with your snaptic account
- Newsrob - Google Reader client (for RSS)
- Epicurious - Cooking guide, search for recipes from Epicurious.
- Many newspapers like NYTimes have their own android widgets.
Useful:
- Barcode Scanner - Essential - use the phone's camera to scan barcodes/QR codes.
- Easy Spirit Level - Your phone is now a spirit level, congratulations
- Cardiotrainer - Useful for fitness exercises. Turn on your GPS when you take a run around the block and it will save your trajectory which you can view on your stats page.
- Astrid - Personal task manager (to-do lists)
- Gmote - Stream music from your desktop to your android or use your phone as an input device via Wifi (useful for presentations).
- Chrome to Phone (Android 2.2 only). Install chrome to phone from the market, install the chrome extension (Firefox exention is called FoxToPhone) - send URLs, maps etc directly to phone through the android internets cloud.
Useless but nerdy cool stuff:
- Google Sky Maps - Point at the sky, see star names. Sure to impress your ladyfriends.
- Solaris - Is there an electromagnetic storm in your area? What's the auroral activity like in the north? See it on a 3D earth.
- Tricorder - Congratulations, your android phone is now a tricorder. Measure the magnetic field around you among other things.
System tools:
- Call Confirm - An extra prompt window to confirm you want to call someone.
- Estrong File Explorer - File explorer, browse internal/sd memory - install apps
- PDAnet - Free tethering: sharing the phone's internet connection with other devices. (Built-in in Android 2.2)
- Audiomanager - Home widget for easily managing all the different sound levels (alarm, ringtone,media) as well as vibration in one place.
- No Lock: enable/disable (widget) the 'slide' lock whenever the phone wakes up from standby.
Home screen & widgets:
- LauncherPro - Home screen launcher replacement. Very customizable. The paid pro version ($3) includes HTC Sense like widgets. Ars Technica review and guide with pics.
Snowstorm - Weather widget - Multicon - Widget to place 4 smaller icons on the widget space of just 1 icon. If you really want to stuff your home screen.
Games
- WordFeud - Play 1v1 scrabble at your own pace. Play in up to 20 games at once, challenge other PAers!
To challenge or add PAers to your friends list and gloat with your score:
check the Android Wordfeud thread - Alchemy - Combine elements (starting from water, earth, wind and fire) to form new elements. Gotta catch 'em all.
- Barr - Time management in a pirate barr. Link goes to forum post in thread
- What the Doodle!? - Draw words online, opponent has to guess
- Throttlecopter - The classic helicopter game - press to ascend, release to descend
- Wikipathia - Find the quickest path between two random wikipedia articles.
- Abduction - Doodlejump clone
- Project INF - Multiplayer top-down shooter.
If you want to find and explore more apps or discover which apps PAers use it's recommended you take a look at:
Appbrain!
Discover and explore apps, add them to your download queue and the AppBrain app on your phone will install/update all your selected applications. Convenient when filling up your phone for the first time.
http://www.appbrain.com
Find out which apps PA forumers have installed: (post yours in the thread to have it added!)
http://www.appbrain.com
Find out which apps PA forumers have installed: (post yours in the thread to have it added!)
Next up: Phone offerings!
Alegis on
0
This discussion has been closed.
Posts
Gizmodo has a pretty good article outlining the top Android phones currently available on each carrier, the full text of which is available here.
Verizon
HTC Droid Incredible
Specifications:
Currently the flagship of Verizon's Droid line, this has received pretty favorable reviews across the board. It's rocking HTC's custom Sense UI on top of Android 2.1, a customization that some love while others hate. It has a 1 ghz Snapdragon processor comparable to the Nexus One and is in many ways similar to that phone. This is the obvious purchase for Verizon customers who aren't willing to wait for the upcoming Droid 2 and Droid X, rumored to be coming out in the next couple of months.
Official site.
Complete review from Engadget.
Motorola Droid
Specifications:
Verizon's first Android phone, this launched the platform into the limelight for much of the public. It runs vanilla Android 2.1, a definite plus for those not to keen on HTC's or Motorola's UI customizations. While starting to show it's age, it is still an extremely competent smartphone and a solid choice for Verizon customers not looking to drop $200 on an Incredible. While it still retails for $150 direct from Verizon, it can be had for $20-$50 through various online retailers.
Official site.
Complete review from Engadget.
AT&T
HTC/Google Nexus One
Specifications:
This is Google's official phone, their flagship device for the mobile market. While it's specifications are impressive, the early decision for a T-Mobile exclusive combined with an online-only ordering system really stifled the phone's potential. Its official Google sponsorship means it is the first device to receive new Android updates, a major selling point for some. At present, it is uncontested as the best Android phone available for T-Mobile and AT&T customers.
Official site.
Complete review from Engadget.
Motorola Backflip
Specifications:
This might be a pretty cool phone if you are an 11 year old girl who happens to really like both Android and MySpace. Maybe. It's pretty underpowered compared to the rest of the phones in this thread, and it starts with the outdated Android 1.5 before adding Motorola's Geocities-esque craptacular Motorblur on top of it. Since AT&T was worried that this device might still appeal to some people, it disabled the ability to install non-Marketplace apps on the device, effectively cutting the "open" out of "open platform." If someone wants a less biased blurb about this phone... tough luck.
Official Site.
Quick review from Engadget.
Sprint
HTC Evo 4G
Specifications:
The current new hotness, the Evo 4G is pretty secure in its seat as the top Android phone available now. It is a Sprint exclusive, much to the chagrin of others on the major carriers. The 4.3" display, HDMI out (with kickstand!), and dual cameras surpass anything else currently on the platform, while the internals and OS are comparable to the Droid Incredible or Nexus One. As Engadget's Chris Ziegler write's, "Put simply, its magnificent list of specs reads as though it was scribbled on a napkin after a merry band of gadget nerds got tipsy at the watering hole and started riffing about their idea of the ultimate mobile device."
Official site.
Complete review from Engadget.
T-Mobile
HTC/Google Nexus One
Specifications:
This is Google's official phone, their flagship device for the mobile market. While it's specifications are impressive, the early decision for a T-Mobile exclusive combined with an online-only ordering system really stifled the phone's potential. Its official Google sponsorship means it is the first device to receive new Android updates, a major selling point for some. At present, it is uncontested as the best Android phone available for T-Mobile and AT&T customers.
Official site.
Complete review from Engadget.
MyTouch 3G Slide
Specifications:
The latest in T-Mobile's MyTouch line, the 3G Slide provides users with more power than any of T-Mobile's other retail Android offerings, and more options as well with a slideout keyboard, Swype keyboard software packed-in, and HTC's layer of Android customization over the OS. The genius button, however, will not actually make you smarter.
Official site.
Engadget hands-on.
Other than that, the only thing I dislike is that the keyboard labels on the physical keyboard are terrible. Making the secondary symbol on each key as large as the letter is really distracting, and 0 is on the key next to O, so I replace o's with p's on a semi regular basis. Having said all that, the only time I use the physical keyboard is when I'm using connectbot to ssh into my screen session for irc and instant messaging, so it's not too big a deal.
Your wish is my command! If you have any experience with the phone, a quick blurb akin to the others for the OP would be appreciated, as I don't have much experience with the device.
I've sold a few of them already (and expect to sell a ton tomorrow). I'll PM you something.
You are a scholar and a gentleman.
I've only been using it for a day or so, and it's pretty fun to use, but I'm not entirely convinced it's faster than using the normal (HTC) keyboard purely because it limits you to using just one finger; with a keyboard I can use both hands to hit keys on either side of the screen, instead of having to drag back and forth.
If I were to compare it to using the keyboard with just one hand, then it's definitely miles ahead. All this being said, I have noticed that being more familiar with it has led to some speed increase over when I started, although everything still comes crashing down the moment there's a mis-entry and I have to correct it (still, the same could be said about any other keyboard).
There's a multitouch keyboard on one of the new (unreleased) Droid models. If that filters down then it might be the best, fastest available option for two-handed typing -- especially on the monster 4.3" form factor devices that've been popping up.
What's the deal here?
I do want the Google Nexus, it's just my brother swears up and down on the MyTouch 3G and says that life sucks without the sliding keyboard. What say you?
yeah, the name of your phone makes a HUGE difference...
the nexus is a nice phone. i have one myself. the problem is that you can't get it subsidized in the same way that you can with the mytouch slide.
does the nexus have a faster processor? sure. what difference does that make for a first time smartphone user, other than being able to brag about processor speed?
Apps I would add:
Useful
Astrid (personal, not system) task manager
PDAnet free tethering
Multimedia
Ringdroid turn any part of any mp3 into a ringtone
Game
Abduction Doodlejump clone
Steam ID: Good Life
My brother (who handles the family account) swears up and down the Nexus One is not a T-Mobile phone and has no idea how I'm considering one and why my sources say it's available.
T-Mobile's account upgrading part of the site is down, so I can't tell. How did any T-Mobile users here choose it?
http://www.google.com/phone
Didn't even know about it myself until a few days ago when someone mentioned it. To me, this looks like the best one so far. I was considering EVO 4G for like 4 months until I learned it's CDMA trash and not in Yurop (which is where I am).
Heavily considering that one right now, though perhaps HD3 is going to be worth the wait (but that's Windows 7 trash)
Uh... shit runs faster. That's what "faster processor" means. Are you going to tell me that there's no difference between the Core 2 Quad in my PC and an old Pentium 4, too?
Ooh, makes me feel extra special giving Google all my money instead. :winky:
PSN Hypacia
Xbox HypaciaMinnow
Discord Hypacia#0391
Nexus one does not have a hardware keyboard. Currently available models that feature them include the Droid (soon to be replaced with the Droid 2 -- hold out until then), and the MyTouch 3G Slide.
I'm going to tell you that many users (especially first time smart phone owners) aren't going to percieve any difference at all
enough to make $530 a waste of their money.
Also the Cliq
but don't get the Cliq.
It is not a nice phone
I'm guessing the nexus one with t-mobile.
Also the Backflip! Do not forget the Backflip.
Yup. If you buy the phone upfront it's $60/mo for unlimited data and 500 minutes.
I had the same problem. The phone for some strange reason doesn't send pic messages while on a wifi network. I don't know why and I am lazy (also reading dune series) to bug report it.
interesting. i've had the same problem, but i never checked if it was wifi related
i'll need to test this
Steam ID: Good Life
My wifi's off. :?
I have no idea if it's the same thing but my friends Droid stopped receiving/sending all text messages at one point. It was doubly odd because her mother also had a Droid on a family plan and it was fine. Verizon had to actually reset the whole account to get it working again. I worked cell phone tech support at one point and believe me, I tried everything but a factory reset before I even called them.
PSN Hypacia
Xbox HypaciaMinnow
Discord Hypacia#0391
It's just a standard microUSB cable.
there is an extremely noticeable difference between that phone and my friend's incredible
enough to make me feel :< about my droid when he has that thing out
especially since open-source customization shit and multitasking is the essence of android as a platform, having the extra GHz to slap all kinds of awesome widgets and background processes in there is DEFINITELY reason enough to opt for a faster processor
even if they don't notice it right away, it'll become very apparent the more stuff you start using it for, and it'll hold up much longer as more elaborate and resource-taxing applications become commonplace
EDIT:
the people bickering about whether or not to get the incredible over other Android phones....
Wireless.amazon.com is having a sale today where the phone is $0.01. get at it.