PhoneDog.com - The latest about G1

ARTICLE: Android modders fixing issues that don't officially exist

4/3/2009 10:10:00 AM

Disclaimer: What you do with your phone is on YOU. This type of stuff can turn your device into an expensive paper-weight. It's also a violation of this and that. I'm providing this information for educational purposes, etc. (I'm going to have to insert this type of thing into the beginning of a bunch of posts, aren't I?)

So, I rooted my G1. I've been putting it off because I was afraid hacking might cause some problems that would inhibit my reviews or give me a different experience than the majority of you. So far, the opposite has turned out to be true.

Before modding, I had two major issues that drove me crazy. The first - and most troublesome in terms of interrupting my work - was that I couldn't see a lot of apps in the Market that were available to the rest of you. I wanted to upgrade Power Manager to pro, but when I clicked the update button, I was informed that the program was not found in the Market. This happened every day, with dozens of apps. It didn't matter if I followed a QR link from a website, a notification in aTrack Dog, or a prompt from the Android Market's own version-checker.

I spent some time trying to chase this down, but it didn't seem like an acknowledged problem. Users popped up here and there complaining of one or two missing apps, and those offering support looked at the problem on a per-app basis. I never saw anyone saying that they were missing out on all of the most exciting new releases. But I probably spend a lot more time in the Market than the average user.

I gave up on the second issue long ago. Importing contacts from my SIM and sometimes even adding a new contact resulted in a force close of my contact book. The exact errors changed, but the behavior was the same. Most of the time, I could not save a new number to my phone - even after a factory wipe. I stuck with the short-list that I was able to add, and forgot about it.

After a few hours of reading, rebooting, transferring files, etc. I now have a rooted G1. Both the missing app and borked contact list problems have been repaired. Wow, I forgot how many people I know. The downside to this is that I wasn't able to purchase the pro versions of the Market's back-up apps first. It doesn't make that much of a difference though, because to make a complete backup of your G1, you need root access.

I've lost my contact photo associations and apps and all of that stuff. But it's O.K. The first thing I'll do after rearranging the phone to my tastes is to make a backup image of the. whole. entire. phone. state. Thank you, xda-developers, Android-DLs.com, and all of the brilliant people working on this stuff.

My Android gripes are gone and I'm looking at some nice new possibilities: multi-touch, screenshots, device back-ups, tethering, and loads of other goodies. I'm glad I waited. There's actually an app for auto-upgrading the modded OS now. I haven't been on long enough to use it yet, but... wow.

OSS, FTW!

ARTICLE: Android tethering app

4/2/2009 8:40:00 AM

For those who haven't been following Android Market news, it was widely reported over the last week that Google was pulling an app from the marketplace that allowed users to connect their computers and other Internet devices to a G1 for surfing on their cell carrier's bandwidth. Of course the first question that popped up was, "Who's bandwidth?" You paid for unlimited data, right? Well, you were still violating T-Mobile's terms of service, and Google felt obliged to remove the offending app from the Market.

I am happy to report, however, that Google has allowed the program to return for users outside of the States. Still (and this is the question everyone seems to be asking), is it Google's place to enforce T-Mobile's TOS here in the States? And more importantly, should we lay down and let a multinational corporation dominate and suppress community-driven technology?

Well, I don't think so. So here's a post with the app, which requires a root access. There's a link in there for another root-required app called aNetshare. PdaNet is a non-root solution.

I should say that I don't officially recommend modding your phone. You could end up with a pretty strange-looking paper-weight. Having said that, please resume learning, exploring, and creating the software that drives the industry. Have fun!

Via ars technica and Droid Developer

VIDEO: Android app review - Sweeter Home

4/1/2009 6:25:00 PM

I knew this would happen. I recorded a video while a new version was being released. Development is moving so quick on this project that any review will be outdated the minute it gets posted. That's O.K., though. You can watch my vid for the overview and check the links for the latest features.

Springboards, which I mentioned in my video, but didn't understand, can be seen in their full glory here.

LemoNZ's Matricks video demonstration can be found here.

Also, be sure to look at Puny Weakling's themes page, and the Sweeter Home homepage.

ARTICLE: Multiplayer Quake is coming to Android

3/30/2009 12:20:00 PM

Last month, androidandme.com issued a bounty: some cash and bragging rights to the coder who could realize the concept that got the most votes from the site's readers. The call went out, and the code came in. And very soon, Torrent Droid will allow you to scan a bar code at the store and have a movie, album, game, whatever, sitting on your home computer when you get there.

This month, the bounty is more specific - bring Quake to Android with Wi-Fi multiplayer capability. The game has been open source for a decade now, and it's not a question of portability. It's more or less a race. The prize will consist of some of the "donations" made to the site, which can be traded for ad space, the finished app, and "a tingle up your leg knowing you contributed to bringing multiplayer gaming to Android."

Nice idea. Can I suggest compass implementation?

(I fudged this pic)

ARTICLE: What the Android Market needs

3/29/2009 12:00:00 PM

Android Market alternatives are out there. If you are a developer who wants to avoid Google's copy protection in favor of a different flavor (or no protection at all), you could sell your apps through SlideME. They also offer the SlideME Application Manager, SAM, for browsing and buying programs from Android devices. Payment can even be made directly to a SlideME debit card so coders get paid quick.

Then there's Cyrket - a site that mirrors the official Android Market. It doesn't do much to make the catalog more navigable and user-friendly. However, each app description features a QR code, so you can take a picture and be linked to the app in the store on your Android device. This doesn't always work for me, but it's no fault of Cyrket. I don't see a lot of apps that I should be able to. And no, it's not my filter settings. Some odd quirks have popped up in the Market, and it's getting to be a bit of a hassle.

The design was sufficient at first, but now the ol' shop feels like it's bursting at the seams. I can't just check under the latest submissions for all categories to find the best stuff anymore. There's just too many products to swim through. Little bugs and hiccups (like the breaking of some updates by freshly-instated copy protection) are understandable at this stage, but I think the layout is in need of a serious overhaul.

Here are the additions I would consider a priority:

One touch updates: I'd like to see a list of apps with updates available, each with a checkbox next to it - all of them selected by default - and a big button at the top of the screen that says, "Update All."

Suggestions based on a user's ratings: As the size of the catalog grows, this will be more important. I think a selection in the menu would be appropriate. Pop-ups or an intro page might be too obtrusive.

Sorting by multiple criteria: The ability to sort by date and rating would be fantastic. The popularity tab is virtually useless - the content rarely changes, and even if ratings are taken into account, number of downloads carries too much weight.

Filters: If I could limit my search results to apps that only have a 3.5 or above rating, and have been on the market for at least a month, and have over 5,000 downloads, I'd have a much easier time finding what I want. It would also make finding the best new apps simpler.

Screenshots: SlideMe got this right, and... it doesn't look good, Google.

My last suggestion isn't as much about the Market as the apps that are accepted. Programs should be required to store all images in a designated folder on the SD card. If I want to look at my photo album, I've got to get past fifty movie posters, banners, and album covers first. They take forever to load, and are a pain to delete - you have to do that one at a time. Please fix this, 'droid devs.

So there are my top suggestions for improvements to the market. None of them are absolutely necessary, but I think given any of them, we'd miss them if they were taken away. What else would you suggest? Better comment filters? Rating of raters? App trading? Audio comments so we can give shout-outs to our homies under that lame vocabulary-building game? Just kidding, I love those. I suck at them, but I love them.

ARTICLE: Waiting for Torrent Droid

3/29/2009 11:55:00 AM

This isn't really news, but I can't wait for the app to be released before mentioning it. Recently, Androidandme.com started their own developer's challenge called Android Bounty. You can read all about it over at Torrent Freak, where I first learned about Torrent Droid. The winner(s) of the contest, Zerofate, conjured up some code that allows Android owners to scan a bar code at the store, select a torrent site and torrent to download, and have a full album or movie waiting for them at home when they get there.

I'm not going to bother fueling the debate about whether or not these apps should be available. They just arrrrr!

ARTICLE: Android app review: Mother Feed

3/26/2009 11:30:00 AM

I've never been a social website junkie. Well, that is if you discount user-submitted news sites. I only got into Facebook about six months ago, and thought it beat the baggy, sagging pants off of MySpace. I jumped on when right it became "the New Facebook," so I had nothing to complain about - unlike millions of other loyal users.

I tend to roll with changes at websites because the landscape evolves so quickly that websites must adapt. It leads to cool surprises. Facebook's latest reincarnation however, may be a bit drastic. It's losing the characteristics that make it unique - not just growing to meet users' needs. But I probably don't need to tell any of you that. Still, huge friend lists are the norm, and confirming that you actually know somebody seems little more than troublesome nag-screen. So maybe it is appropriate that they are adopting the tools and techniques of sites designed for mass communication. How else can they compete?

Anyway, I've gone looking for some alternatives recently, and one day not too long ago, the Mother Feed icon turned up in the Market. I had never used friendfeed before, but I knew what the program was for based on the font and logo color. I set up my account and started to explore. Being new to this site, I might miss some things that old-timers consider required functionality. But I've tested everything I can see on the site in Mother Feed, and it seems practical to me.

First of all, I like lists. It makes sense for IMs, and it makes sense for micro-blogging and link sharing. Mother Feed doesn't allow you to add or remove people from your lists, but it's organized according the way you've set them up on the site. Rooms are a great feature as well. In fact, while checking out this app for review, I'm becoming a fan of friendfeed. Not only is the web experience unique, but there's a free client out their that offers at least read-access for all of the web features.

Mother Feed has five tabs - Home, List, Rooms, Me, and Account. The options are simple. There is no long-press, and the context-sensitive menu key never offers anything beyond post, refresh, logout, and about. But the interface is clean, the content is well-organized, and posted photos are scaled to the G1's screen size.

I could complain about the inability to add rooms, move friends from one list to another, etc. But how often do you really need to do that stuff? Besides, it's free! For those as clueless as myself, friendfeed can be linked to your Facebook, Flickr, Twitter, Amazon, and a few other accounts. It's definitely worth your time to take it for a spin.

Verdict: Thumbs up.

ARTICLE: aHome, revisited (already)

3/26/2009 8:15:00 AM

I have to drop a quick update here to my lukewarm post on aHome. Three days after I reviewed it, mAPPn released version 1.4.0 of the program, and almost all of my complaints have were addressed.

First and foremost. aHome now has the Cupcake QWERTY, widely available in both portrait and landscape modes - it won't assist you in other apps, but works for all OS and at least some widget text fields. For instance, I can tweet using quicktweet without sliding my screen open. There isn't any haptic or audio feedback, but it's a tantalizing taste of things to come for Android fans. The keyboard now changes your view to typed text is never blocked, but try hitting menu with the soft kb on screen - your options pop up behind the keyboard. Minor bug.

Overall, I'm seeing a major performance boost. And my app menu is black and beautiful. aHome has also taken a huge leap forward in theme support, allowing users to download themes from within the program and save them to an SD card. I downloaded the entire 10 MB "March Collection" last night. That's a great touch - bundling a bunch of skins for mass download.

I still don't like that I have to receive my upgrades via email, as that's supposed to be a solution for customers outside of the US. I'm not sure what's going on with that, and apparently, neither is mAPPn. Still, the priced Market is new, and there are bound to be a few copy protection issues. I still say aHome is the best Android home replacement. Open Home fans would likely debate my reasoning passionately.

ARTICLE: An alternative to the Android Market

3/25/2009 9:15:00 AM

There's been a gap between selling/shoping/sponging via the Android Market, and doing the same from random, disparate websites. Those two options may be fine if you've got the time, live in the United States, and don't mind Google's copy protection. But for others, another solution was bound to come along.

An open source outfit called SlideME launched paid applications last month, and have a cool client - SAM - for managing and purchasing apps. While not exactly bursting with programs, I think it might be more well organized than the Android Market. And this one has screenshots ('bout time). Buyers can use credits cards for purchase, and coders can receive payments via Paypal or even with their own SlideME Mastercard debit account. Sellers who want protection can employ SlideLock.

SlideME aims to make collaboration on software projects easier, and offers a "for hire" check-box during sign up to adjust your profile accordingly. It's free to download SAM, and a good chunk of the apps are free as well. So go ahead and check out the latest apps available from SlideME, and grab the SAM apk for s test drive.

ARTICLE: Android app review: Open Home

3/25/2009 9:10:00 AM

Of the Android home replacements I've tried Open Home wins the most unique customization award. Searching the Market for Open Home, you'll find twenty-or-so professionally-designed, extremely detailed skins that affect every nook and cranny of your seven home panels.

aHome currently has about twice as many available, but some are priced, whereas all Open Home skins are free. Unlike aHome's, Open home Icon sets can be changed independently of the skin, which is cool. And with specialized versions of other auxiliary apps (like Better Cut), Open Home probably offers the most additional features of the home replacements.

With the latest version, the folks at Better Android - creators of Open Home - have included some features of the Cupcake development branch of Android code. These include a portrait-mode-only keyboard that only works with Google search, and isn't all that usable. More interesting is the inclusion of live folders - a very practical and functional addition to your homescreen.

Live folders give you quick access to custom content - like only your favorite contacts. Tapping a name in the list takes you to the different methods of contact - cell, email, etc. Using the Open Home version of Anycut - or it's big brother, Better Cut, it's easy to make one-tap shortcuts for accomplishing a wide variety of activities.

A hide-able dock and button for drawing the soft keyboard are the most easily recognizable features differentiating Open Home from aHome, but you have to digg a bit deeper to see how different they feel. Both are worth trying. And both are dancing around Google's copy protection. Open Home owners got a surprise during last week's update when they found an Open Home force close causing an endless cycle of reboots from which there was no apparent escape.

Remember folks, MENU + POWER = SAFE MODE!

Never reset your device without trying that first.

Open Home is $2.99 in the Market, and will be $3.99 when more features are available. There is a lite version to demo. aHome is still my favorite, but it looks like more feverish coding is pulsing in the OH camp. I hope the competition grows more fierce.

ARTICLE: Android software keyboard options

3/23/2009 10:05:00 AM

In anticipation of the keyboard-free Android devices sure to ship this year, I thought I should cover the current Market offerings designed to hold us over until we get the "Cupcake QWERTY." I should preface this by saying that I appreciate the work of coders who dedicate their time and energy to the cause.

There are some great programs here. But, as an end user, I haven't seen anything that's good enough to replace my hardware keyboard. And I really hope Google has something special waiting. I am excluding apps that provide a kb solely for foreign character functionality - that's a different post. There are also a few that just didn't make the cut for quality reasons.

ChompSMS

Market stats:

4 stars, with 13643 ratings
50,000 - 250,000 downloads
Free

ChompSMS is, as far as I can tell, and exact copy of iPhone's SMS app. I don't know if you folks have stock auto-rotate with a portrait QWERTY yet, but Chomp does. This is my default SMS app, and one of the best soft keyboards for Android. There is a gentle buzz for physical feedback, and the software keyboard disappears when the hardware kb is out. Chomp uses space wisely, is logically arranged, and feels elegant.

I'd like to see adjustable haptic feedback, kb support outside of SMS, and a unique, Android-based identity.

a12Keys

Market stats:

3 stars, with 588 ratings
10,000 - 50,000 downloads
Free

This one was a big surprise for me. I grew cynical of all of these attempts at a soft QWERTY (I hadn't experienced the most recent Chomp until writing this), and I stopped bothering to try them out. a12keys has a killer interface and supports multiple languages. It auto-rotates from portrait to landscape, and sliding out the hardware kb causes the on-screen keys to disappear.

Here's the key (pun intended) feature for me: when you hold a key, a preview image if the key you are pressing *and the surrounding keys* appear above your kb. So if you meant to hit J, but pressed K, you'd quickly see the error, and could simply slide your finger over a bit to self-correct. BRILLIANT. Has someone else already done this? Maybe I'm in the dark here, but I'd say the creator(s) of a12Keys is/are on to something great. I also like that the previews appear in the exact same spot, no matter what key I'm pressing.

My complaints are that it doesn't have haptic feedback (required, in my book), and that it can't be launched just anywhere. It does run in the bar for easy copy/paste though - so that's good. I actually like the Pac-Man-esque sound effect. It's also the best-looking soft kb for Android, in my opinion - in that it's lovely and not just an iClone. It looks better than the Cupcake board, I think. I've always liked glossy apps though, and I suppose it gets old for some.

Steel
Market stats:

4 stars with 5010 ratings
50,000 - 250,000 downloads
Free

People love this replacement interface for the Android browser. I think mostly because it represents choice and competition, but also because it supports zoom gestures and accelerometer auto-rotate. The kb is launched whenever you tap a text field, and rotates based on orientation - it doesn't matter if the hard-QWERTY is out. This one also features very gentle haptic feedback. You can choose a light or dark theme, which is cool. It's not too cluttered. But the keyboard only works for web browsing, and it can be laggy at times.

DroidSans Virtual Keyboard
Market stats:

3.5 stars with 516 ratings
10,000 - 50,000 downloads
Free

DroidSans is the Thai outfit that brought us Tweak Tools. That app is good in the cool-if-you-have-some-power-to-spare kind of way. But their kb is more useful. I'm not sure I like the fact that the kb stays on screen even when the hardware kb is drawn, or that it's always running - from the time you boot. The haptic feedback may be too light without sound effects, but the two together are tasteful and appropriate. I'd like to see further development on this one - and for the top row of number keys to be dispatched. They are wasting space. Maybe people who type a lot of numbers prefer this.

Open Home - with (some) Cupcake features
Market stats:

4 stars with 477 ratings
1,000 - 5,000 dl
$2.99 (current promotion, $3.99 usually)

Open Home is a theme-able homescreen replacement with widgets and live folders. However, the software keyboard - which is hopefully not indicative of the final product we'll see on Magic - is non-responsive, cramped, difficult to be accurate with, has too-faint haptic feedback, and only works in portrait mode. Please let this be an imitation and not the actual Cupcake code. Maybe it's just scraps from the very early stages of development. Oh, man.

PawPaw Keyboard

3 stars with 981 ratings
10,000 - 50,000 downloads
Free

I hate to give a scathing review for free software, but I find Paw Paw useless. It is cramped, only rotates when the hardware kb is out (?), has keys almost too small for a stylus, is unstable, and is without haptic feedback. It has ten number keys above the letter keys, which is already a waste of space. But on top of that, landscape mode brings a 10-key block to the right of the letter keys - like you'd see on a computer keyboard. What's the point of going landscape when the keys don't get any bigger? Thumbs down. I only mention this one because Paw Paw is far better than the apps that didn't make this list. Changes are absolutely necessary, but there is some potential.

So, there you go - the best soft keyboard options for your G1. And, if Google fails to deliver, alternatives for Magic and beyond. If I had to chose one for a phone-wide solution, it would be a12Keys. The preview image is perfect. I'd like to throw something out there after testing all of these - devs, a slider for adjusting the intensity of haptic feedback would eliminate the taste factor in that department.

If you feel I've left out an important app, or am terribly unfair/inaccurate/ill-informed, please leave a comment. Also tell me how many fingers I am holding up. \\//

ARTICLE: Android app review: Loquacious

3/21/2009 3:10:00 PM

Coming into the world as the first priced Twitter client for Android carries with it some inherent expectations. Twidroid has never disappointed me, and the interface is as sleek and professionally crafted as one could hope for. There are options galore, and the app works flawlessly. With this in mind, I went ahead and paid the $2.99 for Loquacious - even though there is a 14-day, fully-functional free trial version in the Market.

In order to compete with an app as powerful and satisfying as Twidroid, the developer of Loquacious, Shaun Kelly, took a different approach. The app's description states that it contains not a trace of turquoise. And yeah, it is kind of a nice change.

Besides the fairly standard Twitter client options of direct message, reply, retweet, follow link, and favorite, Loquacious has a killer filter menu. You can set up filters based on user ID or the source client; i.e., from Web, Twidroid, etc. The latter is an excellent feature, and probably the one thing that could pull me away from Twidroid - but only for viewing. And once you follow enough people, it makes sense to view with one client and tweet with another.

The filters are based on whatever shows up on your account - not a list of current Twitter clients. So, not only will you not need to scroll through a huge list of irrelevant clients, the app will automatically recognize new clients when they are released.

For now, Twidroid is still my favorite. But Loquacious has a lot to offer. A simplified interface, unencumbered tweet list, and perfect filters will probably draw a more than a few converts. It's at least worth checking out the demo. I had to search by name - it didn't show up for me under social apps.

ARTICLE: Android app review: aHome

3/21/2009 3:05:00 PM

I've tried various versions/incarnations of all of the Android home replacements I'm aware of: dxTop, Open Home, and aHome. I settled on aHome lite as my favorite because it was exactly that - lite. There were a couple of handsome, practical widgets, and the battery monitor and weather widget sat on my primary panel. dxTop's dual tabs for the app library and running programs made more sense than a dedicated widget button, but aHome had a dock and allowed me an entire extra row for icons. I was happy.

Then I had to upgrade aHome, and found my carefully-organized and categorized icons had been erased. Not. cool. I never saw the full, priced version of aHome in the Market, so I decided to search online. I purchased the full version via Paypal at the dev's website, and got an .apk in my email. So does this mean I can't upgrade via the Market and Android's useful built-in version-checking? So far, the answer is yes. This should be remedied. The upside to this arrangement is that I was drawn to their message board that is quickly becoming a community.

I had rebuilt my four homescreens for aHome Lite before buying, and was sad to find they didn't transfer over to the full version. So, I set about getting things back in order again. The first thing I noticed is that the weather widget (which is now cached and doesn't need to reload when you swipe back to it's panel) looked much worse than it did before. the aHome Lite version had a classy, subdued hue. And while you can now change the weather background, your choices are limited to blinding bright colors that don't go well with any aHome theme. Yikes. Back to Moxier world. The Battery Monitor widget still looks good though.

The second problem is that my apps menu seems to take longer to load. It's jittery - even after a fresh boot with no background apps. Is that because of the new background? Black looks better anyway, I think. I'm complaining because I'm a fan of the product, and I think the devs made a few mistakes here. Still, the new version adds faster homescreen loading, naming and setting a panel indicator symbol, and prompt for Google voice. Auto-rotate for accelerometer output is fully functional in this version as well, which takes care of Open Home's primary advantage (I'll get to the Open Home Cupcake stuff in my review of that program).

Strengths: Useful widgets; makes more sense than default Android home; I can now export and import all of my aHome settings, which is something the Android team should consider; auto-rotate without sliding the screen; I might actually start using drawers for review apps, instead of *another* panel.

Weaknesses: Blechy widget themes and background/load time for the app library.

Verdict: If aHome is your favorite home replacement, the full version is worth the $4.99. You need to keep an eye on mAPPn as well. They've got some cool stuff coming out for iPhone too.

ARTICLE: Android app review: GMote

3/18/2009 10:35:00 AM

GMote has been a tough nut for me to crack. Not so much in terms of using the app, but in terms of filming and editing a review. The program is robust and full of useful features. I wanted to explore them all - and in three different operating systems. One of the things that attracted me to GMote was the fact that it works with Linux, Mac, and Windows. This sort of compatibility is more common nowadays, but it still gets my attention. And it is the main reason this is a written review rather than a video.

Picture me fumbling my way through demonstrating the functionality (or lack thereof) of twenty features under three OS's on a single monitor while juggling two cameras and some video capturing software. Yes, a written review is the way to go. However, a quick and dirty demo is available for those who want a taste. I made it the same day I installed GMote, and I had done little to no twiddling at that point. So, with the disclaimer that it only demonstrates what someone with little knowledge experienced having spent little time on figuring anything out, and that it was created after finding out I had lost a lot of footage, here is a video. (When I said cursory, I should have said cursed.)

O.K., so what is GMote? It consists of two applications - a server app that runs on your computer, and a client that runs on your Android device. The client hooks up with the server on your local Wi-Fi network or over the Internet. Once it's connected, the following features are available:

Browsing of files
Playing music on your computer or streaming it to your phone via a local network or over the Internet
controlling of music; play/pause, FFW/RW, skip tracks, stop, browse library
Viewing album artwork on the phone
Launching and remote control of DVD movies; play/pause, FFW/RW, skip chapter, stop
Use of your phone's touchscreen as a mouse touchpad
Launching of websites (beta)

Now this is a nice list of features and would make a great full video review right? Well, I'm not making one any time soon, so I've decided a chart is the best way to communicate my results. This is not intended to be indicative of what the average user will achieve - it's just what I've experienced.

[blank] = no
X = yes
P = partial

	Ubuntu 8.04	Mac OSX 10.5.6	Windows XP, SP2
Browse Files	X	X	X
Launch Song (local)	X	X	X
Music Control (local)	X	P
Album Artwork		X
Launch DVD		X	X
DVD Control		X
Touchpad	X	X	X
Web (beta)	X	X	X
LAN Streaming	X	X	X
Internet Streaming	X	X	X

Note that touchpad functionality gives you the ability to do all of the things I wasn't able to achieve in the table above, except display album artwork on the phone. That's just not the way GMote is intended to work.

Music Control (local) refers to the ability to pause, skip, and seek through tracks playing on the computer. I was able to control music under all three systems when streaming to the phone. So in terms of controlling music that was playing on the computer, Ubuntu gave me total control, Mac gave me quirky and unreliable control, while Windows only allowed me to switch tracks by launching another - I could not stop the music.

What's strange about running GMote on Windows and Linux is that no music player launches. VLC is prerequisite, and is what broadcasts your tunes, but you will not see an interface. I'd like to see iTunes launch in Windows (giving me artwork) and maybe Amarok launch in Linux - but that presents a debate in itself. I'm happy to see Linux support at all. iTunes does launch on Mac.

OS Notes

Mac

As you can see, Mac was best supported overall. However, it was Apple that caused me the most aggravation during the tests, because files crippled with DRM cannot be streamed to non-Apple devices. There are ways of fixing this. (I thought I had taken care of all of my tracks, but apparently not.) And yes, I endorse stripping tracks of their DRM, wholeheartedly - and by the batch, of course. I can vouch for QTFairUse.

Linux (beta)

The first thing you should know about the Linux daemon is that if you run into problems, you'll need to start it with desktop effects disabled. This is due to a Java runtime problem. Secondly, you can't start it with a launcher (even with an absolute path). You need to use the terminal. CD into your GMote directory (probably ~/GMote/) and type "./GmoteServer.sh". Once it's running, go ahead and restart your effects, and everything should work fine. But make any daemon setting changes first - like password.

Since my Ubuntu desktop is my local server for *everything,* it's always running. So this isn't a hassle for me. But if you reboot everyday and want GMote to launch from a startup script, think again. I worked on this for days, and the dev's suggestion, as specified above, is the only thing that worked for me.

Windows

I'm not a big fan of Windows anyway, but I have to say that I probably wouldn't use GMote if it were my default OS. Once a track is playing, that's it. You can either start another, or sit this one through. I didn't spend much time troubleshooting, because I didn't really care if it worked. I boot into Windows a few times a year - usually for Acrobat Pro or for a review like this. Your mileage may (most likely will) vary.

Complaints

My number one complaint about GMote is that there is no way to save the IP and ports entered manually for streaming and control over the Internet. I have a dynamic IP, and even though it usually remains unchanged for weeks at a time, I don't like having to remember it and type it into my phone every time I reconnect to my server. I think a simple profile system is in order here.
I'd like to see separate buttons for FFW/RW, and skip. As-is, tapping a button increases the speed, while a long press skips tracks. That's the exact opposite of how I would have designed the software. It's rare that I want to fast forward, but I skip tracks all day.
The daemon on the server end forgets the password after a reboot. This was the case on all three operating systems.

Despite these problems, and what's indicated as missing in the table, I still think this is one of the strongest apps available in the Android Market. Huge potential here. Thanks to YanivC for encouraging me to check it out, and thanks to Marc for all the tech support.

Tech Notes

Keep in mind that in order to stream over the Internet, you must enable port forwarding on your router so that your TCP port (8889 by default, for streaming) and UDP port (9901 by default, for mouse control) are forwarded to the local IP address of the computer you are trying to connect to; i.e., 192.168.1.100. You cannot set up multiple computers for Internet streaming on the same local network without running into major problems.

Verdict: Super-duper huge thumbs and big toes up for this killer FREE app.

ARTICLE: Android app review: FML

3/17/2009 11:40:00 AM

fmylife.com is a bit like postsecret, minus the reveling in evildoings. The posts are generally more embarrassing than those on postsecret, and the multitudes of comments, like "you deserved that one," or, "your life really is [effed]." make the confessions all the more humiliating - sometimes hilarious. Most of the time though, it's just comforting to share a little drama, tragedy, or shame anonymously with another human being in the hopes that you're not the only one who lost their bikini in the ocean.

FML is a free app for Android that lets you browse the posts in the order they were submitted, or have one randomly displayed. I think it allows you to comment and submit, but I keep getting an error when trying to sign in. And it's been hanging on "loading new posts" for like, 20 minutes now. Silly problems like this keep getting in the way of my reviews. FML.

Search the market for FML - it's by Evan Charlton.

VIDEO: G1 - super-extended, 2400 mAh battery

3/10/2009 8:45:00 AM

It isn't cheap, but this 2400 mAh super-extended battery has me using the G1 as it was designed to be used; and relegating the stock battery to the role it's best suited for - emergency back-up. There are a lot of extended batteries on the market for the G1. I can't compare and contrast them because I've only tested one. But the one I did test is a godsend. Please let me keep it, WirelessGround!

VIDEO: Students using Android for home control and automation

3/3/2009 10:15:00 PM

This is just a quick post intended to emphasize the cool geekiness of open source software. Because if there's one thing I've been neglecting, that is it. All kidding aside, this really is important. Two computer science students have been working on a school project in which they use their G1 to turn home lights off and on, read the temperature inside the house, and receive alerts from a carbon monoxide detector.

I had just finished reading Adrianna's post (with vid) about the guy feeding his dog with an iPhone, when I stumbled onto the video below over at droideo.com. I love the idea of home automation and control from afar. Not only is it cool and fun, it's practical. And for these young men, a strong entrance into the world of technology.

The coders are Alex Neighbors and Kit Hoffman - seniors at Oregon State University. The venture, as Alex states, is part of a Capstone Course requiring real-world applications for real-world clients - designed to allow them to "experience the joys and pains of software development." Maybe their work will spill over into a paid Market application? Potential entrepreneurs, right here.

VIDEO: Android update to RC33 and my first app purchase

3/3/2009 12:05:00 AM

I finally got the RC33 update, which means I can purchase items from the Android Market now. I think waiting for something slows down time. In this video, I run through the entire update process, set up a Google Checkout account (off-screen), and make my first Market purchase... well, donation.

ARTICLE: Android app review: ixMAT Scanner

3/2/2009 11:05:00 AM

Did you ever speak with your friends in a secret language as a kid? Me neither. I wasn't bright enough to keep that stuff straight. But now, thanks to modern technology, I too have the ability to alienate outsiders and trade information on the down-low.

There are a lot of ways to do this, like encoding a jpeg with an entire song or using some arcane hexadecimal gobbledygook to ask a girl out on a date (reliable sources say it works every time). Or if you're a total show-off you can learn to read a binary clock. I don't know how to do any of that, but check out what I can do:

Who cares, right? It's a two-dimensional bar code. Well, people who like to move fast and keep their contacts organized, that's who. Not only does that contain all of my (fake) contact info, it's arranged for easy importing. Scan this with ixMAT from the Android Market, and you can instantly add me to your contacts - all of the information will go where it belongs; name, email, website, etc.

Tane Piper, the coder writing Brightroid - an Android client based on the location-aware social network, Brightkite - turned me on to ixMAT Scanner. (I'll be reviewing his program later - it's in the early stages now.) He sent out his contact info in the form of a QR image, and I had to know how he did it. There are plenty of sites that can make one of these for you, but the link he offered has the most consistent, standardized formatting of the five-or-so I tested.

You can render in three different sizes, making them perfect for the sidebar of a blog, the signature at the bottom of an email, or as the wallpaper on the homescreen of your G1. Now that's a practical application. And you'll WIN at any gathering of geeks.

VIDEO: Android app two-fer, part 1 - Shazam

2/25/2009 8:25:00 PM

The Android community already knows about Shazam, thanks to free advertising from Apple. Hear a track on the radio and can't remember who recorded it? Shazam's what you need. Currently free in the Android Market.

VIDEO: Android app two-fer, part 2 - Snaptell

2/25/2009 8:20:00 PM

Snaptell does with visual data what Shazam does with audio information. See a great flick at your buddy's house and want your own copy? Take a photo. Later on, open that photo up with Snaptell and find a store online or nearby to purchase it. Another freebie - for now.

VIDEO: Android app review - Air Hockey

2/23/2009 11:45:00 PM

Air Hockey is always ready - there's no learning curve, no back-story, and no need to pause or save. It's the perfect distraction for those little periods of waiting that are scattered throughout your day. The two-player action is weak at the moment, but don't blame the developer. As soon as wireless gaming is supported, a pair can showdown from different Android devices. Air Hockey is 99 cents. Check out the dev's site: JJCgames

ARTICLE: Android's personal task list apps

2/4/2009 8:10:00 AM

If you read this site regularly, you may have seen a post of mine referring to Astrid or Remember the Milk. I'm not going to rehash anything that's already been said - just follow the links if you're interested. But I thought it might be helpful to make a list of the available to-do lists, or personal task managers, and point out some of their strengths and weaknesses - as well as the changes they've seen since I last wrote about them.

Astrid is Google's official personal task manager for Android, and it shows. This app won me over with its rich features and navigable design a few weeks ago. It is the highest rated in the Market of all such apps, with 4.5 stars.

TooDo is a powerful organizer that has read/write synchronization with Remember the Milk and ToodleDo. My primary complaint with the program the last time I looked at it was unnecessary weight - I only wanted the RTM functionality. While there isn't an RTM-only functionality, significant changes have been made. The app now has a "lite mode" - where categories and context are disabled. It makes for a simple, light checklist. However, the "non-light" mode has become even more robust. With notification bar and color-coded LED integration, TooDo is looking better than ever. There's a bit of a learning curve, but if you are looking for an all-in-one solution, this is one is worth some of your time. TooDo has 3 stars in the market.

Tasks, by VNSN has 3 stars in the Market. The app's description points out its small size as a selling point (Tasks is free). It uses a two-level hierarchical system: lists and notes. You create a list, say "Homework," and you put notes within that list. It is simple, solid, and conforms to the user; rather than the other way around. I like this program.

Tag ToDo List by Teo stands out in the market. Not only can you tag your tasks as the name implies, you can record voice notes to your SD Card, draw graphical notes, and look at statistics. This is also a good one for people who love keyboard shortcuts. It comes with a task list for learning how to use the app, and has a polished, clean interface. Tag ToDo has 3 stars in the Market, but probably deserves more.

RTM ToDo Viewer has 2.5 stars in the Market, which would normally cause me to pass it by. But I am a supporter of Remember the Milk on all platforms and am happy to see someone is working on a dedicated Android client. It is currently read-only. The programmer, Marcel, started it for fun and learning. He did say he hopes to implement write functionality in the future. That would increase the ratings, for sure. RTM clients are available for your computer, and having them all sync up is great.

Doogle is another exception to my 3-stars-and-above-only rule, with 2.5. Here's why. Tasks include contact integration and hardware functions, like making a call at a certain time. It needs some time to mature, but I like the idea. I'll be looking for updates. Maybe we'll take a look back at this one later.

ToDo List Free is a demo with shoddy graphics and 3 stars. I wouldn't recommend this program. It is the only one on this list (that I know of) with a price. It is also the least deserving of your cash. Sorry, creators. I'm not sure what you're up to here.

ARTICLE: Android radio round-up: 6, 5, 4

2/3/2009 3:10:00 PM

#6 StreamFurious is a Shoutcast/Icecast streamer that can handle PLS/M3U from the G1 stock or Steel browsers. It's pretty basic, but gets the job done. The problem I have with this app is organization. The user is presented with a long list of stations, and there's really no way to categorize or sort them. Still, for those who want a quick, nimble app, and don't want to mess with a bunch of options, SF works great. This is my default client for talk radio. It runs in the notification bar.

#5 Jinzora... Jinzora. Oh, you evil seductress. How, at once, I love and loathe thee. This app is supposed to stream media from your home library to your phone. I got pretty excited about this one because I'm already a Linux user. Properly setting up the LAMP server for Jinzora is a matter of following some fairly simple cut-and-paste instructions. However, dealing with the way Comcast handles IP assignment and the way my router forwards ports, are different matters. It's been a long time since I messed with this stuff.

I experimented, but my cable modem upload speeds are so bad that each change of a setting required me to wait for five minutes while Jinzora client tried to get the media. When it couldn't, I wasn't given any errors or other information, so it was too frustrating to continue. If I had more free time, you can bet I'd have Jinzora running trouble-free... or I'd die trying to make it happen.

There are Windows and Mac servers available, but I did not test either. They may or may not simplify the server set-up process. Unless you have some killer upstream flow, it isn't worth your time. This one is here for the tinkerers. Some of you will fall in love. Some will go mad. When you do, please let me know. I'll give this one another shot when my Mac Mini arrives. If things work out, I'll write a post dedicated to Jinzora. (And possibly switch to FiOS.) I rated this one on concept.

#4 AntPlayer accesses Shoutcast streams. You can search and bookmark your favorite stations, as well as add your own. This is a bare-bones program, which is exactly what some people want. I use it to listen to archived episodes of Coast to Coast A.M., which gives a voice to UFO witnesses and abductees, witches, people who are trapped in the future, the possessed, the haunted, the psychic, the keepers of ancient secrets, victims of government brainwashing, those who travel outside of their bodies, conspiracy theorists, grand conspirators, and people who have been to heaven, hell and Bigfoot's stinky cottage. Search for George Noory or Art Bell. It's a real kick in the pants.

Click here for part 3

ARTICLE: Android radio round-up: 3, 2

2/3/2009 3:05:00 PM

#3 FlyCast is a full-featured, ad-driven radio solution that offers options you aren't going to find in any other Android app. Over 1500 "channels" are available - featuring live radio and podcast streams. Stations are organized by city, genre, and even bandwidth. For example, when I browsed by city and selected Los Angeles, I found three high-quality streams for those on W-Fi 3G and EVDO, and one standard quality stream for EDGE. FlyCast also offers dedicated access to Weather and Traffic.

There are five buttons at the bottom of the screen: Guide, Search, Favorites, History, and Settings. There is a bar at the top that usually has a back button, and always a quick press to the now playing screen. I like the feel of the window, but I'd prefer some slicker graphics in the content area. Still, FlyCast is a cool app, and can be integrated with your Facebook account.

The version available at the time of this writing is a public beta. Check out Noah's video review here.

#2 imeem. The Android imeem client has been around longer than most (all?) of the programs on this list. And it was excellent from the get-go. The interface the sexiest of all the radio apps, with last.fm coming in a close second for that category. Like Last.fm, imeem also has love/hate buttons so it can learn about your tastes and deliver personalized content.

The main screen has four tabs: Featured, Saved, Recent, and Search. Extremely subtle ads grace the screen in such a way that I almost thought "KIA" was a function of the program. The Now Playing screen has Hate, Love, Pause and Next controls, not unlike Last.fm. Clicking the info button will tell you about the band, allow you to add them as a favorite, and find similar stations.

imeem also directs you to purchase from Amazon, should you want to download a song. Oh, did I mention how sexy the interface is?

Click here for the super, ultra, mega-grand finale!

ARTICLE: Android radio round-up: And the winner is...

2/3/2009 3:00:00 PM

#1 Last.fm. The official Last.fm client, Personal Radio, is of a caliber even better than I expected from the team that's done more than any other to analyze and interpret the listening habits of music fans on every platform possible. The interface is beautiful, and features all the things you'll find on the site so many have come to love. But this app is more efficiently organized than the website.

The limited space eliminates ads and superfluous options. This app is about rapid access, but cuts no corners. This is meat-and-potatoes Last.fm. Tagging, searching similars, buying on Amazon, creating stations, managing friends, band info, album covers, and everything you could possibly hope for is here. And despite my not participating in much scrobbling (running a little app that keeps track of your taste), Last.fm knows me all too well. I'm constantly falling in love with bands, first listen.

After login, the user is prompted with two options: pre-existing account library, and suggestions. I go for suggestions and am presented with some shoegazey, noise-laden dream pop. Ride's Dreams Burn Down. Good stuff. When it's done, I select "listen to similar artists," and I'm appropriately given Sometimes, by the seminal, My Bloody Valentine. The horror flick ripped that name off, kids. And if movie previews are the only place you've heard it, may the cosmos have mercy on your soul. The album cover displays a red ribbon on the corner, which indicates the band is on tour. Wait... really? Hmmm. Not for me. There's more to the States than California, MBV.

Last.fm plays in the background and stays in the notification bar for easy access. It's great to be able to get back to it so quickly to rate a song that just ended. I don't think this thing scrobbles. But you can vote love or hate on the tracks the app streams.

There is a non-official client in the Market called aLastFM, which functions fine, but was depreciated with the release of an official client. There was a third, that fell below my three star minimum.

Oh man, the Flys. I forgot all about them. Holiday Man is such a fun album. Therein lies the joy of Last.fm.

ARTICLE: G1 power management

12/15/2008 10:45:00 PM

Battery life has been my most significant complaint about the G1. So I decided to find every instance where power was being used unnecessarily and eliminate the waste. Following these steps significantly extended the life of my battery. And I've continued to use the features that make the G1 worth owning. Of course a lot of these options apply to other devices as well. Some are specific to the G1.

Recalibrate the battery

I thought this problem was resolved years ago. I was wrong. Batteries still develop memories. And if you haven't run your battery all the way down a few times, you're not getting everything you can out of it. The process, according to T-Mo tech support, is: use the phone until it dies. Charge it up until the indicator light has been green for at least two hours. Repeat. I did that, then repeated the entire process again. Four complete drains, and my G1 battery's lifespan is at least 50% longer than it was before. At least. Of course I've changed some of my habits as well.

Power Manager

This is probably my favorite app in the Android Market. It allows you to set up profiles and automatically select them based on user-defined triggers. For instance, turn off GPS when battery power falls below 30%, or turn up the screen brightness when the phone is plugged in. You can even look at stats to see where you waste the most energy.

Personally, I wouldn't recommend doing any of these things. Leave the monitor off. Set up the most efficient profile you can live with, and then manually turn services, like GPS, on for the few minutes you need them. Power Manager provides a simple interface for toggling lots of processes, so go ahead and put in on your home screen.

Inside the app, you'll see a knob for switching between 2G and 3G. If you have Wi-Fi in your home, switch to 2G. That's two taps to get 3G before fetching data while away from home. The saved power is worth it. You're not worried about excessive finger exercise, are you? Turn off the monitor, unless you want to change profiles automatically.

Now hit the menu key and create a new profile. Enter the name and description and hit O.K. You will see a list of categorized controls.

Trigger

This is just for those who want automatic profile switching. I think it's best to always preserve energy, so I won't be covering the option. Running the monitor in the background takes juice.

Sound & Display

Ringer mode: personal preference
Brightness: can only be dropped to 30/255 in this app. I'm not sure why, but we'll fix that later. Leave this option unchecked.
Screen timeout: go for the 15 seconds. Increase it only if it becomes a hassle.

Wireless controls

Wi-Fi: personal preference
Bluetooth: personal preference

Location

Use wireless networks: Disable
GPS: Disable

Data Synchronization

Auto-sync: Disable, unless you *really* have a reason.

Now hit your back button. The profile has been changed. Toggling the options on the Power Manager home screen will not update your profile. So go ahead and switch things on as you need them, but remember to turn them off when you're done. If there comes a time when you can't remember what all you've changed and you want to get back to being efficient, just tap your profile name and you'll be running lean and mean once again.

As I said, Power Manager has a minimum screen brightness setting of 30/255. You set the profile not to mess with your screen brightness, right? Go ahead and drop it to 0. (Settings -> Sound & display -> Brightness)

One other thing that Power Manager neglects is Wi-Fi notification. (Settings -> Wireless Controls -> Wi-Fi settings) Un-check Network notification. While you're in here, let's make sure you don't get stuck with a surprise bill after your next vacation. Back key, Mobile networks, un-check Data roaming. (Settings -> Wireless Controls -> Mobile networks)

If you follow all of the steps above, you will see a significant difference in your battery life. If you are more disciplined than myself regarding Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, you just might forget about your phone's battery issues all together. Conservation has worked very well for me, and I still use the G1 for everything I want to. I'm just more conscious of what I'm asking from it.

ARTICLE: What I dislike about the G1

11/27/2008 11:15:00 PM

I don't want to kill anyone's Black Friday shopping buzz, or discourage you from buying the G1 as a holiday gift. But I have dedicated a lot of posts to pointing out the benefits of this phone, and it's operating system, Android. I think it's time that I cover some negative aspects of the device.

Most design problems become apparent over time, and may not be recognizable during an in-store test. They're not the kind of thing you want to be surprised by. So consider this a warning list of qualifiers from someone who is very happy that he bought the G1.

Keyboard

The chin gets in the way when you're typing. It is unavoidable... and annoying. I have the bronze version of the phone, and its silver keyboard has some issues that the black one doesn't. The light blue color used to label the keys is difficult to see in well-lit areas whether the back-light is on or off. The red color used for symbols is hard to see in moderate dark. So, outside of a pitch black room, pretty much every environment leaves some part of the keyboard invisible or hard to see. The keys are also too short in relation to the panel surrounding them. Touch typing is difficult, but I have made progress. If you are a hard-core texter, you may be frustrated by this odd QWERTY.

Camera

The camera is painfully slow. A lot can happen between the moment you press the button and the time the image is captured. On top of that, the shutter stays open too long; probably to compensate for the phone's lack of a flash. I usually can't achieve a clear picture without sitting down and resting my elbows on something. Even then, it sometimes takes me a few tries to get a shot without blur. The final product is good enough for messaging, emailing, or loading into the frame that sits on the Android home screen, but not much else. That level of photo quality is good enough for most of what I (would) use it for, but the shutter delay is a serious problem.

Battery life

EDIT: Please see my comments on battery life after the post.

I can drain the phone's battery in a few hours. I can make it last all day as well, but not by using the features that make the thing worth owning. It's like having a stereo that doesn't sound good until you turn it up loud enough to blow the speakers. Even when I'm not pushing the G1, I really feel some pain there. This is probably my biggest complaint.

Single jack

EDIT: Please see the user comments on adapters after the post.

The charge/data transfer jack is also shared for audio output. This is a lovely design for simplicity's sake, but a significant problem for me. Because I run down the battery so quick, I like to have the G1 plugged in whenever possible. I use it in bed every night, watching videos before I sleep. If I forget to unplug the headphones and plug the charger in, my alarm might not go off in the morning. Are there any adapters that split wires out to separate jacks for each function? I can't find one. I'd use bluetooth for audio but it wouldn't be in stereo, and that's just one more thing to charge.

Memory

The microSD card may be hot-swappable, but it's very difficult to access.

There is no task management application. The user can switch between apps, but cannot end one. If you used the browser for 5 minutes last Thursday, it's probably still running, unless you've rebooted. Android decides when it needs more memory and closes applications appropriately--at least that's the concept.

In reality, when the G1 has been used for an extended period, it lags. I'll hit the home button, and see my wallpaper for 5 seconds before the icons appear. That's how I know it's time for another reboot. It happens far too often, even if I am a "power user." Too bad, really. I'm smart enough to know whether or not Tetris should be constantly running in the background for days on end, and I should have the option to kill something when Android won't.

I still think It's a great phone

Just in case I've destroyed your holiday, I'm going to close the list with one major strength of the G1 (in addition to the countless pros listed in every other G1 post I've written).

I can't tell you how many phones, MP3 players, and even external hard drives I've purchased that are supposed to function as a USB mass storage device, but don't. Most of the time, I get home from the store to find some proprietary Windows setup utility, and realize that the gadget is totally inaccessible without Windows XXXX or some tedious hacking. The G1 truly operates as a USB mass storage device. I plug it in, and it is painlessly mounted as a drive. It doesn't matter if I'm running Windows Vista or Ubuntu Hardy Heron. I haven't tested on a Mac, but Google says it just works.

I bought the G1 because I couldn't wait to see what Android felt like. I looked past the flaws I knew about and accepted the fact that more would turn up. It came down to the screen, because that's what stands between the user and the OS. The G1 has a *killer* screen. If you or your giftee is super-excited about Android, buy the G1 for Android, not for the hardware... but only if you need it now. The next "G-phone" can't be too far off. I have some very minor qualms with the software, but nothing a new body couldn't make me forget about until a major software update.

EDIT: Thanks to user feedback, I will be following up on this post once I've had some time to test out the suggested solutions.

ARTICLE: fBook brings IPhone Facebook app to Android?

11/12/2008 5:55:00 PM

I've never used the iPhone Facebook app, so I can't compare. But fBook's description in the Android Market says it's "a wrapper that optimizes and fixes* the Facebook iPhone web app for your Android phone." The asterisk denotes a list of bug fixes: "1.)...composing message; layout issues 2.) Features: Send SMS, more to come."

It does a lot more than the previously released Statusinator, and it's working well for me so far. It's listed under Applications, Social. Sort by date, as it's fresh today. It seems like a browser pointed to the iPhone version of FB with a different menu, but it doesn't show up in the task switcher so I'm not exactly sure what's going on there. fBook is from Next Mobile Web, who have also offered the excellent Quickpedia, Dial Zero, and PhoneFlix in the Android Market.

Edit: fBook does show in the task switcher. For some reason, not until my second reboot. Also, entering your user ID and pass results in a prompt to have the browser save them. Switching tabs gives you a cool swiping animation, so there is more going on there than a masked browser.

Don't forget to check out PhoneDog on Facebook!

ARTICLE: Why can't I connect?

11/10/2008 12:10:00 PM

With all of the methods of delivering data to cell phones, it can be a bit confusing to track down connectivity problems. Phones that are capable of EDGE and 3G data usually connect to which ever one provides the stronger signal. I recently moved to a weak 3G area, and found my G1 resorting to EDGE.

What confused me was why, when my phone connected to my local Wi-Fi network, I had no Internet connectivity at all. My cable modem showed Internet activity, and I thought my laptop was online (turns out I just have a LOT of cached pages). My phone had the strongest possible signal from the router, but networking errors were the only response I received when attempting to fetch data from the web.

T-Mobile began billing for G1 data on November 1st. Anyone who received their G1 before then was on a free data plan. The automatic changeover that was supposed to occur left many without data altogether. For those unfortunate enough to experience this hassle, it happened at the turn of the month. My connectivity issues didn't begin until the 4th the day I got my Internet service set up in a new apartment.

When a strong Wi-Fi signal is present, the G1, like many other 3G phones, abandons EDGE and 3G connectivity. Even if your local network has no Internet connection, the G1 assumes that it does. In the end, I discovered that my coax cable had some sort of short. My modem was lying.

I figured all of this out after 4 calls to T-Mobile. The techs there didn't realize that the G1 won't look for over-the-air data when connected to a local network. Not only will it not look, it absolutely refuses to use EDGE or 3G at all—regardless of whether or not your network has a working internet connection.

ARTICLE: Android: What Happened to Ringdroid?

10/21/2008 2:30:00 PM

In response to several Emails we've received over the past day or two, here's what can I tell you re: The current state of the G1's Android Market and the super yummy "Ringdroid" app. More soon, I hope ...

Hello G1 Owners,

A few of you have emailed to ask about the "Ringdroid" app that was featured in one of my videos. I downloaded the app from the Android Market and used it to create a custom ringtone, as shown in the video.

Apparently Google has been adding and removing applications from Android Market over the past few days. Some of you have reported that Ringdroid is no longer available in the Market, which is a shame as I found it to be a very cool piece of software.

We obviously can't control what Google does with Android Market, though I can tell you that they've been planning some changes and additions in preparation for the official G1 launch date of Wed. October 22. Hopefully things will be in order by then, and hopefully that will include the return of some of the cool apps I got to preview on my review unit - like Ringdroid.

I will check with my contacts to see if I can get any more information on the status of Ringdroid and the other changes to the Market.

Thanks for the messages, and let us know how you like your G1s!

- Noah

More news for you already! Tricia over at MocoNews had this to say:
UPDATE: A Google spokesperson told me today that the Android Market that reporters had been experiencing with their demo phones is an early version and therefore it's changing as it gets ready to officially launch. "We need to be sure that a few of the 3rd party apps are final for consumer use in the Android Market when the T-Mobile G1 officially launches tomorrow, October 22nd. We're replacing the preview applications with final versions. After October 22nd, developers will be managing their own applications."

VIDEO: T-Mobile G1 Review: Camera, Photos and Video Player

10/20/2008 2:45:00 PM

Noah checks out the G1's camera and photo gallery apps, and downloads Video Player BETA. The G1 REALLY needs a good video player.

ARTICLE: Event Coverage: The T-Mobile G1 launch party 10/16/08

10/20/2008 12:15:00 PM

Here's what the line at a star-studded opening typically looks like in New York City: Throngs of people waiting to get in, checking each other out and trying to look cool while celebrities blow past. Outside the T-Mobile G1 launch party at Skylight Studio, it wasn't much different, except everyone was checking out each other's hand candy—and grousing about the half hour wait to get in.

Inside, the scene was surreal. Crowds of designer-clad trendsetters circulated amid tragically un-hip geeks and the rumpled reporters from the city's media, resulting in a weird—and big—mix of partygoers. In total, 400+ attendees came to the launch, including stars like Jason Biggs, Erika Christensen and Alan Cumming. With such a wide range of tastes to cater to, no wonder the food was so eclectic. They had everything from seared tuna to hotdogs.

But I didn't come to eat, so I pushed my way through the packed room to look for the star of the show: The G1. The large hangar-like space was designed to bring the phone to life, with a photo booth set up on one side and a YouTube "confessional booth" for on-the-spot uploading at the other. On the far end, the words "Android Market" was projected onto the wall, above little stations set up to tout featured apps.

Cutting through the crowd wasn't easy. I kind of felt like Frodo going on an epic journey, but when I reached the back, it was worth it. There, in all its glory, was the precious. I asked model/actor Jasyn Woolley, who was hired to showcase the phones, what his favorite features were. "I love the full QWERTY keyboard and the rollerball. It is so much easier than swiping all over the place." He passed it to me so I could get my own impressions.

The phone wasn't as heavy as I expected. Sure, it was no lightweight gadget, but the rubberized exterior felt surprisingly good. And it didn't feel like it could slide out of my fingers. Still, I thought there was room for improvement. The G1 was pretty thick, and I didn't really dig the thought of using a USB headset for it.

I turned the cell over and over in my hand, listening to the DJ spin tunes and peripherally catching the lights and videos in the room. All the while, I couldn't help but wish that the phone itself was as sexy as the party that was thrown for it.

By now, Jasyn and I were buds, so he let me put the G1 in my pocket to feel what the heft and dimensions would be like on the go. It slid into my jeans nicely and didn't feel like it would fall out, which is great. I looked up to tell my new friend, and that's when I spotted the huge guard behind him, inching closer. He saw me stash the goods and was ready to pounce if I started sprinting for the door.

Yeah, I was tempted, but instead, I gingerly handed the phone back to Jasyn with two hands. Then I backed away slowly, toward the stations that spotlighted featured apps—ShopSavvy, cab4me, BreadCrumbz and EcoRio—along the rear wall.

I wanted good design, and I sure got it from Android and all its goodies. Using Google Maps on the G1, for example, felt like standing inside the streetview itself. When you turn around, the motion sensor tells the map to pan around with you. Pretty cool stuff. And, says Tom Harlin, T-Mo's PR dude, it won't take long before there are tons of new programs. "It's an open market with a user rating system for applications," he said. "The market is going to drive demand, and this is going to grow with the market."

Overall, it was an awesome party, with lots of candy for the hands and the eyes. The Raconteurs were hot, igniting some serious dance jams, and I even got a photo with Biggs. The only downside was that the Google guys weren't there. It would've been cool to chat with Sergey, Eric and Larry on this new idea I had for a Google laptop...

VIDEO: T-Mobile G1 Review: Phone and Ringtones

10/20/2008 10:25:00 AM

Forget all the bells and whistles - how is the G1 as a phone? Noah checks it out, and he also makes a custom ringtone using Ringdroid, a free app from the Android Market.

VIDEO: T-Mobile G1 Review: Music and MP3 Store

10/16/2008 2:40:00 AM

More with the G1. Noah tries out the music player and Amazon mp3 store. Where's the headphone jack?

VIDEO: T-Mobile G1 Review: Web and YouTube

10/16/2008 2:10:00 AM

Hands-on with the G1 Anrdoid phone. In this segment, Noah reviews the G1's Web browser and YouTube app.

VIDEO: T-Mobile G1 Review: Messaging and Email

10/16/2008 1:20:00 AM

Noah takes a deep look at Email, Instant Messaging, and MMS/SMS on the HTC G1 for T-Mobile, the first Google Android phone.

VIDEO: T-Mobile G1 Review: Overview and Full Impressions

10/16/2008 12:05:00 AM

Here it is! Noah tells you what he thinks of the T-Mobile G1 Android phone.

VIDEO: T-Mobile G1 Review: Unboxing

10/16/2008 12:05:00 AM

Here it is! It's a G1 party as Noah unboxes the first Android phone. Be sure to catch all of our video reviews of the first Android phone, the HTC G1.

VIDEO: Inside the T-Mobile G1

10/6/2008 2:40:00 PM

During the live demo at the T-Mobile / HTC / Google Android launch event, Doug got a chance to take a closer look at some of the T-Mobile G1's hardware. The device comes with a 1GB SD card, USB port, and removable battery.

VIDEO: T-Mobile G1 Google Android phone expanded demo

9/24/2008 12:30:00 PM

Deeper hands-on demo at the T-Mobile G1 / HTC / Google Android phone launch event. Featuring "street view" demo, and in-depth Android Market (apps store) details.

VIDEO: T-Mobile G1 Android hands on feature demo

9/23/2008 2:00:00 AM

Doug gets another hands-on tour of the new T-Mobile G1 Google Android phone live at the launch event in NYC. Get a first look at browsing, messaging, Android Market.