UKBouldering.com

technical => computers, technology and the internet => Topic started by: Bubba on February 13, 2012, 10:09:54 am

Title: Android
Post by: Bubba on February 13, 2012, 10:09:54 am

Rather than further dereailing the "there's an app for that" topic, I thought I'd start a general Android topic...

If anyone with a Galaxy S 2 fancies running Ice Cream Sandwich and can't be bothered waiting for the upcoming official Samsung Firmware, I'm sure you'll already be aware that there are quite a few ROMs out there already.

I installed this one yesterday and it seems to be working just fine: Resurrection Remix ics Rom v9.1 Ultimate XXLB 4.0.3 Full-Wipe (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1436854)

It's based on a beta Samsung release of ICS, but it scraps Touchwiz and uses the Trebuchet Launcher from the upcoming CyanogenMod9 instead.

I've not had any issues apart from occasional strange hangs and in general it's really snappy.  I don't think there's any must have features in ICS over Gingerbread but it's all just a bit more polished.

I'm sure there'll be loads of ROMs based on the official release (rumoured for March) but I was just bored at home and fancied checking it out.
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Bubba on February 14, 2012, 09:51:49 am
And a new version (no wipe install) of this ROM released today. Nice!

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1436854 (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1436854)
Title: Re: Android
Post by: slackline on February 14, 2012, 10:38:08 am
For those not with rooted Galaxy S2's Samsung announced that Android 4.0 (gay names for releases can fuck off!) is rumored  be available in March (http://www.reghardware.com/2012/02/10/samsung_to_release_android_4_ice_cream_sandwich_for_galaxy_s_2_smartphone_in_march/) (same for HTC), although if you've got a phone through a carrier you'll invariably have to wait longer for them to tweak the ROM (and that could take some time!!).
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Bubba on February 14, 2012, 11:42:10 am

Yeah, carrier branded updates will take forever even after the official manufacturer ones have been released...and they'll be full of even more bloatware.

The Samsung ICS release will be Touchwiz based and since everyone whinges about it I thought I'd try something else. This CM9/Trebuchet offering works just as well as Touchwiz did, you just lose the screen reference dots at the bottom.  It seems that most of the current ICS ROMS are based on a Samsung 4.0.3 beta release.

One thing I did notice yesterday was that I was getting a GPS fix much faster than on my previous Gingerbread 2.3.4 ROM.
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Bubba on February 22, 2012, 04:41:57 pm
Run a full Ubuntu desktop from a docked Android phone: http://www.ubuntu.com/devices/android (http://www.ubuntu.com/devices/android)
Title: Re: Android
Post by: slackline on February 22, 2012, 04:43:48 pm
Was just about to post a link to that!
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Bubba on February 22, 2012, 05:50:46 pm
Fuck me, I've out-Linuxed slack--line  :ninja:
Title: Re: Android
Post by: slackline on February 22, 2012, 06:42:52 pm
 ;D

Clocked it an hour or so ago but was busy trying to draw a graph.

Looks interesting, need to read more as to whether the PC boots from the Android phone or whether its just providing a desktop environment from the phone to the.

Its slow and subtle, but GNU/Linux is gaining ground. :geek:
Title: Re: Android
Post by: ben on February 24, 2012, 04:20:24 pm
having just upgraded to a Galaxy S2, have my old HTC Desire up for grabs. It's on Orange but guess that can be dealt with..

Orange say they'll give me £73 to 'recycle' it so if anyone wants to start a bidding war at that?  :-\
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Fj on February 24, 2012, 09:04:08 pm
i've just rooted and installed a new CyanogenMod rom on my motorola milestone as they stopped updating after 2.2
although there was a chance of bricking the phone it didnt turn out to be that hard.

definitely recommend it to breath life into a 2+ year old andriod phone to bring it back in line with the latest releases.

check out http://www.xda-developers.com/ (http://www.xda-developers.com/) find your phone and follow the guides.  :2thumbsup:
Title: Re: Android
Post by: slackline on February 28, 2012, 08:15:02 am
Android-x86 (http://www.android-x86.org/) a project porting Android to the x86 architecture and run Android on your netbook/laptop/desktop.
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Bubba on March 03, 2012, 07:35:22 pm
Official ICS update for SGS II is imminent - some manuals have been released (http://www.samsung.com/hk_en/support/model/GT-I9100OIATGY-downloads?isManualDownload=true)  GASP !!  :clap2:
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Bubba on March 10, 2012, 07:17:39 pm
Some great offers on the Market (or should I say Google Play) at the moment - apps/games for 49p (https://play.google.com/store/apps/collection/promotion_2012_03_06_AppsFavorites?feature=banner)
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Paul B on March 11, 2012, 02:51:21 am
what happened with Taptalk? It looks like they revoked its free status recently which is mildly frustrating...
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Bubba on March 11, 2012, 08:51:55 am

It was only free on Getjar, not on the Market. I can't see any way of getting updates from Getjar so I just paid the £2.

It's a solid app and I use it for quite a few forums now so £2 seems like a good deal.
Title: Re: Android
Post by: slackline on March 13, 2012, 11:10:39 am
Android 4.0 for Samsung Galaxy SII is released in Europe today (https://twitter.com/#!/SamsungMobile/status/179372301840687104)

(Obviously no timeline on when operators will tweak these and roll them out).
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Paul B on March 13, 2012, 11:46:31 am

It was only free on Getjar, not on the Market. I can't see any way of getting updates from Getjar so I just paid the £2.

It may be, but it seems like a 'bit' of a con allowing it for free download to get people to use it and then changing its status (not in the marketplace but in the app itself) so it no longer works without upgrading. I didn't realise it was a trial period or I'd have gone with the free alternative that was biting at its heels.
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Bubba on March 13, 2012, 04:08:28 pm

Mine never stopped working, I just wanted the latest version.
Title: Re: Android
Post by: slackline on March 14, 2012, 12:58:00 pm
Anyone interested in writing applications for Android might be interested in Android Java IDE (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.aide.ui), which allows you to develop, compile and test applications on your handset.

Register article (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/03/13/android_sdk/)
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Paul B on March 14, 2012, 01:00:36 pm
Or Appinventor that as been re-released by MIT.
Title: Re: Android
Post by: slackline on April 27, 2012, 01:33:23 pm
Liking Android 4.0.3 on the S2, a bit cleaner, not tried face recognition phone locking yet (not that arsed anyway). 

Thought I'd bricked it when the OpenSource alternative to the leaked Odin, Heimdall (http://www.glassechidna.com.au/products/heimdall/) failed to confirm the file transfer of two of the partitions (Cache and Hidden), but rolling back to Heimdall-1.3.1 solved it (i.e. don't trust version 1.3.2!).  Re-rooted no problem too (with Chainfire's kernel).

A few apps didn't seem to work or allow reinstalling afterwards, but this was resolved by unmounting the external SD card and installing them.

Some of the fonts looked a bit shit on some screens so I've installed Font Installer Root (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.jrummy.font.installer)  to choose an alternative.
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Paul B on May 03, 2012, 07:37:02 pm
What do people think of the budget Android tablets?

Speaking to one UKB member he suggested that likely, they'd all ultimately disappoint yet I'm drawn to things like the Momo9. There's ample video of them running ICS smoothly but there's a distinct lack of decent reviews.

Given as I have an android phone the lack of 3g doesn't really bother me as I can (wireless) tether it if necessary but the resolution of most look low (less than 720p).
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Bubba on May 03, 2012, 08:45:55 pm
I'm assuming you don't want to pay Apple prices otherwise I'd get an iPad. 

You seen this one? Looks quite nice. (http://www.reghardware.com/2012/03/15/review_viewsonic_viewpad_10e_android_tablet/)
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Paul B on May 03, 2012, 09:01:29 pm
No, the one I mention (Momo9) is sub £100 (in the UK), your link is doing something odd for me. It doesn't look like a link and it doesn't go anywhere?
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Bubba on May 03, 2012, 09:06:00 pm
Sorry Paul, link fixed...
Title: Re: Android
Post by: tomtom on May 03, 2012, 09:12:07 pm
I'm assuming you don't want to pay Apple prices otherwise I'd get an iPad. 

You seen this one? Looks quite nice. (http://www.reghardware.com/2012/03/15/review_viewsonic_viewpad_10e_android_tablet/)

Isnt the iPad2 now £300?

I have one - but trying to be objective, I've never heard anything especially good about the Android ones... and they've not exactly been flying off the shelves... If you want a budget one, ensure it has a capacative touch screen...
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Jim on May 03, 2012, 09:59:56 pm
I've been looking at the archos 101 g9 turbo but have decided to wait a while longer before getting a tablet
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Paul B on May 03, 2012, 10:09:49 pm
TomTom, it's still a lot more than £84 (accepting its in a different league).

Looking at the Momo9, Ebuyer now have the updated version (different name) with double the RAM (Sumvision Cyclone Astro Tablet PC).

Jim - how could you resist, its Turbo'd  :whistle:
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Paul B on May 11, 2012, 11:39:49 am
Most people might want to skip most of this...

For those interested (Jim, Dave), I took a punt on The 'Sumvision Cyclone Astro 8gb' which exists in many forms, under many brands.

Straight out of the box I was really impressed. After initial setup it didn't seem at all laggy (unless you're installing and trying to multi-task in a heavy handed manner) and the touch screen seemed good (however the resolution isn't mind blowing) but then things quickly began to go awry. I was searching for apps I knew existed which were unavailable as the market simply knows it as an "unknown tablet". Furthermore one of the core google services (calendar) wouldn't sync. This is an android problem and not limited to cheap products (I think its linked to the processor for some reason).

Like all things open source, there's always a thread where somebody much brighter has fixed the issues. Said thread is here (http://tabletrepublic.com/forum/iview-760tpc-ployer-momo9/iview-760tpc-k-ployer-momo9-official-thread-883.html). Seeing as though it was already running ICS I just ran the custom script (meant to change the device signature, remove bloatware etc.). This pretty much broke everything, mainly marketplace/play.

The hard buttons also stopped working which made it impossible to do system restore. Instead I had to install Clockworkrecovery and this allowed me to flash factory settings. However, factory settings were different to at unboxing! Thus I ended up re-flashing another manufacturers ICS build, running the custom script (everything apart from disabling 'phone services') and installing clockworkrecoverymod. After this a quick re-flash back to factory settings (remove horrible keyboard) and some guesswork to get the language out of Japanese and I have full market access (the script gives it a signature of another more well known device) and a very slick ICS tablet.

Although it sounds like a ball-ache (and is distinctly un-iThings), once you know the sequence of events it can be done in well under 30 minutes and for £84 seems like a steal. Iplayer etc. works and it happily outputs 1080p via HDMI cable.

I meant to output a system image before adding any personal details but I forgot so you'd have to do it yourself. If I had chance again I'd install CWM first and create a Nandroid backup of the out of the box setup. This should be available direct from the manufacturers but they've ran out of bandwidth and I wouldn't trust it to the be the same.

I'm unsure if its just going from Froyo to ICS but image rich tablet browsing is very impressive and better than on my netbook. Apps such as pulse news just look stunning.

/end slack--line  :yawn:
Title: Re: Android
Post by: dave on May 11, 2012, 12:50:28 pm
Sounds like a good deal but I dont know what 90% of the above means....
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Paul B on May 11, 2012, 01:13:57 pm
If you're ok installing drivers etc, then there's nothing that should  tax you too much really. As well as the thread, there's also a youtube video but he drags things out a bit (56 mins)!
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Obi-Wan is lost... on May 11, 2012, 01:35:47 pm
Theres an official ICS release now, or is this what you used that didn't connect to the Marketplace?
http://www.sum-vision.co.uk/productinfo/cyclonetablet/cyclonetablet_astro.asp (http://www.sum-vision.co.uk/productinfo/cyclonetablet/cyclonetablet_astro.asp) (under support)
Title: Re: Android
Post by: dontfollowme on May 19, 2012, 11:28:45 am
To any Samsung Galaxy S2 users on ICS, does the feedly app for you? Mine doesn't want to scroll.
Title: Re: Android
Post by: slackline on May 19, 2012, 03:43:56 pm
Works here, can take a while (i.e. appears to hang & not scroll) if you've not synced recently though.
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Paul B on May 19, 2012, 08:25:03 pm
Theres an official ICS release now, or is this what you used that didn't connect to the Marketplace?
http://www.sum-vision.co.uk/productinfo/cyclonetablet/cyclonetablet_astro.asp (http://www.sum-vision.co.uk/productinfo/cyclonetablet/cyclonetab!let_astro.asp) (under support)

It'd connect fine out of the box but without changing the device signature a lot of apps weren't showing up as compatible, instagram, facebook etc. It came with ics out of the box, the manufacturers download has been out of bandwidth since  I got the tablet.
I don't think the script to change the signature works with the manufacturers ics build, it didn't for me. However, no doubt it'll be updated soon.
Title: Re: Android
Post by: dave on May 19, 2012, 09:24:04 pm
...a lot of apps weren't showing up as compatible, instagram, ....

Thats a selling point in itself.
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Jim on June 19, 2012, 08:45:20 pm
hows the tablet going now Paul?
Am after something like this for the kids to use as they are always on the wifes GSII
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Paul B on June 19, 2012, 11:46:18 pm
Its 'OK'.

After turning it on, or whilst it re-syncs large numbers of things it feels quite laggy and I get a "Wait for this app to respond" dialogue. Once it syncs or has turned on it's usually fine.

Good for iplayer, emails, games, feed reader etc. Its manageable whilst using a standard browser. With photo apps the screen seems really quite good.

Battery life seems OK, an hour and a half of iplayer didn't seem to have much impact yesterday.

I guess it'd depend on what you'd expect them to use it for? For me, I think its shortcomings detract from the tablet experience but then I remind myself of the cost and I care a lot less.
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Jim on June 21, 2012, 03:36:19 pm
would you be tempted to throw, say another £50 at it to of bought something that may be slightly better?
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Paul B on June 21, 2012, 05:44:38 pm
dual core or something? (link me Jim, link me!)
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Jim on June 21, 2012, 10:22:39 pm
well I'm probably going to order one of these (http://www.ebuyer.com/386278-sumvision-astro-7-tablet-pc-astro-7)
I was considering something like this (http://www.ebuyer.com/370145-yarvik-gotab-gravity-tablet-pc-tab364euk) or this (http://www.ebuyer.com/370688-yarvik-gotab-zetta-tablet-pc-tab466euk)
obviously specs aren't alway everything
any other suggestions welcome, budget is only about £100 as its only for messing about with
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Paul B on June 21, 2012, 11:31:42 pm
For messing I'd say the Sumvision is fine (if you're over in Sheffield any time you're welcome to take a look), just don't expect to be blown away.

It seems like the stats look identical to what I've got but there aren't any reviews. Am I missing something? All of the other reviews were favourable etc.

For flashing custom ROMS what you need to find out is which MP camera is in the version you've got, that seems to be the key to get everything working. I packaged everything that I used up into a zip so I wouldn't have to trawl the forums again if I ever screwed it up, PM if it'd be useful.
Title: Re: Android
Post by: slackline on June 25, 2012, 01:11:10 pm
Clocked this linked on another forum £79 for Android tablet (http://www.wowcher.co.uk/email-deals/national-deal/deal-9527-detail/79-instead-199-99-blue-bud-7-inch-android-touch/deal.html)
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Paul B on June 25, 2012, 01:18:23 pm
Its the same, as is AllWinner, Momo, Sumvision etc.
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Jim on June 25, 2012, 01:23:18 pm
looks the same as this (http://www.ebuyer.com/386278-sumvision-astro-7-tablet-pc-astro-7) which I have ordered but has 4x the storage (16GB) for 99p more
Title: Re: Android
Post by: slackline on June 25, 2012, 01:27:47 pm
Fair-do's didn't bother doing any digging, just clocked the offer and recalled this thread.
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Obi-Wan is lost... on June 25, 2012, 04:53:59 pm
I'm waiting to see what the Google offering is like.

http://www.gizmodo.co.uk/2012/06/googles-tablet-is-the-nexus-7-a-cheap-quad-core-attempt-to-sell-android-to-the-masses/ (http://www.gizmodo.co.uk/2012/06/googles-tablet-is-the-nexus-7-a-cheap-quad-core-attempt-to-sell-android-to-the-masses/)

Officially announced in a few days, no word yet on launch date in the UK, pricing also guessed at the mo.
Title: Re: Android
Post by: slackline on June 25, 2012, 05:02:26 pm
I don't think I'd get on with typing on a tablet, but quite like the idea of a dockable keyboard to get round this (and improve battery life).  In no rush to fork out for something at the moment, but if/when a tablet comes out with dockable keyboard that dual boots into Linux when docked and then Android when as a tablet I might be more interested (this isn't too much of a pipe dream given the Ubuntu Android project).
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Obi-Wan is lost... on June 27, 2012, 06:56:55 pm
I'm waiting to see what the Google offering is like.

http://www.gizmodo.co.uk/2012/06/googles-tablet-is-the-nexus-7-a-cheap-quad-core-attempt-to-sell-android-to-the-masses/ (http://www.gizmodo.co.uk/2012/06/googles-tablet-is-the-nexus-7-a-cheap-quad-core-attempt-to-sell-android-to-the-masses/)

Officially announced in a few days, no word yet on launch date in the UK, pricing also guessed at the mo.

Nexus 7 announced and available for pre-order

8gb £159 16gb £199

https://play.google.com/store/devices/details?id=nexus_7_8gb&feature=nexus7_campaign (https://play.google.com/store/devices/details?id=nexus_7_8gb&feature=nexus7_campaign)

(https://g0.gstatic.com/android/market_images/hardware/nexus_7_banner_002.jpg)
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Obi-Wan is lost... on June 27, 2012, 07:05:24 pm
Getting an error on the store at the mo, may be being a bit premature.
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Paul B on June 27, 2012, 08:03:30 pm
Quad core
720p res
"War on Lag"

....Sounds like it'll pretty much eliminate the issues that the Sumvision has (for double the cost, but that looks justified).
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Obi-Wan is lost... on June 27, 2012, 08:19:24 pm
Now ordered.  :google:
Title: Re: Android
Post by: cofe on June 28, 2012, 01:35:11 pm
Looks really good. Might get one.

As an aside, interesting to compare Google's product announcement (price given, product available to order immediately after), Apple's typical announcements (price given, product available to order immediately after) and Microsoft's (no price or availability date given, not available to order).
Title: Re: Android
Post by: tommytwotone on June 28, 2012, 03:15:06 pm
Just put my order in as well - reckon they've hit my tipping point for performance / functionality / storage / price...roll on the delivery date!
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Jaspersharpe on June 28, 2012, 03:25:14 pm
Yeah it was never going to take long. Once my netbook finally dies I will be able to justify buying one.
Title: Re: Android
Post by: slackline on June 28, 2012, 03:53:40 pm
Lacks [micro]SD slot for expanding storage (16Gb won't get you masses of 720p video) and HDMI for playing them back on bigger screens.

Hope they aren't following the fruity model of getting people to buy something and then releasing an updated version which is what it should have been in the first place.
Title: Re: Android
Post by: dave on June 28, 2012, 05:08:53 pm
Only 7" screen? No wonder its cheap.

Word on the street is apple are releasing a mini-ipad (probably 7" ish) this autumn at a loss-making price to counter the ubercheap android postcard-tablet market. Should be one to keep an eye on.
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Obi-Wan is lost... on June 28, 2012, 05:54:13 pm
Word on the street is apple are releasing a mini-ipad (probably 7" ish) this autumn at a loss-making price
Apple? Loss making? I'll believe it when I see it. Which street?
Title: Re: Android
Post by: dave on June 28, 2012, 09:28:43 pm
http://www.techhunter.co.uk/gadgets/ipad-mini-in-october/0571/ (http://www.techhunter.co.uk/gadgets/ipad-mini-in-october/0571/)
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Bubba on June 28, 2012, 09:45:16 pm

That's still a rumour though, nothing concrete.  And I doubt it would appeal to a lot of Android fans anyway.
Title: Re: Android
Post by: tommytwotone on June 28, 2012, 09:45:28 pm
Yeah, all well and good but then I'd have to own an Apple device!

Loss-making or not, it'll take a lot more than that to make me leap over and into the walled garden.
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Jim on June 29, 2012, 08:15:29 pm
have just taken delivery off my cyclone astro+ tablet. For £80 I recon its pretty amazing
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Paul B on June 29, 2012, 08:26:49 pm
have just taken delivery off my cyclone astro+ tablet. For £80 I recon its pretty amazing

Do me a favour and make an out of the box backup of the distribution it comes with...  :please:
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Jim on June 29, 2012, 09:00:19 pm
how do you do that and why?
point me at some sites, I want to hack this thing
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Paul B on June 29, 2012, 09:17:38 pm
how do you do that and why?
point me at some sites, I want to hack this thing

because if you screw it up the Android image it shipped with isn't available elsewhere. Well it is, but the manufacturer never has any bandwidth. Like I said previously, the image you need depends on which camera it has.

My post on here:
http://tabletrepublic.com/forum/iview-760tpc-ployer-momo9/iview-760tpc-k-ployer-momo9-official-thread-883-63.html (http://tabletrepublic.com/forum/iview-760tpc-ployer-momo9/iview-760tpc-k-ployer-momo9-official-thread-883-63.html)

shows the steps I followed. Go to the first page for the driver links etc. and a video that tells you how to boot into recovery and flashing mode.

As yours is potentially a newer version I'd check if you actually need to flash anything (will Calendar sync, what can't you get on Play?).

The script didn't seem to work on my out of the box ROM, in fact it screwed it up.
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Jim on July 09, 2012, 11:51:29 pm
(for paulB)
have discovered mine is the one with the 0.3 meg camera but 16 gig storage. I presume it the same as the 4/8 gig version just with more storage.
What keyboard do you use or recomend (one with swype?)
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Paul B on July 10, 2012, 12:02:10 am
I haven't done anything with the keyboard but I should as its s-l-o-w to type with.

As you now know which one you've got, does this mean you've started tinkering? I still find mine a little frustrating; if it hasn't been on for a while, syncing takes an age and its pretty laggy until its done.
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Jim on July 10, 2012, 12:10:16 am
haven't started tinkering yet but am about to start.
Title: Re: Android
Post by: slackline on July 16, 2012, 09:15:41 am
Samsung Galaxy SIII launcher ported to any ICS ROM (http://www.xda-developers.com/android/samsung-galaxy-s-iii-launcher-ported-to-any-ics-rom/)


HTC Sense ported to Samsung Galaxy SII (http://www.xda-developers.com/android/sense-4-0-booting-on-the-international-galaxy-s-ii/)
Title: Re: Android
Post by: schloosh on July 16, 2012, 09:27:22 am
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.mobilej.btgps&hl=en

Good little app here that lets you use an external bluetooth GPS device rather than the internal GPS on an Android device.
Gives much better GPS accuracy and draws significantly less power.
Title: Re: Android
Post by: slackline on July 16, 2012, 09:33:31 am
Kind of defeats the point of having an all singing, all dancing phone though doesn't it?  I could carry a phone, a GPS, a camera, an MP3 player to do dedicated duties, but I generally don't, I take a phone which does most of these things pretty well instead.

Plus Bluetooth can be just as much of a drain on power as GPS, so its not really going to save you anything (and dedicated GPS devices can be expensive).

(BTW, this thread is more about general Android stuff, There's an app for that (http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,16770.0.html) thread is for applications).
Title: Re: Android
Post by: schloosh on July 16, 2012, 10:25:57 am
I only really use the GPS for car navigation so keep the Bluetooth device, £20 from ebay, in the car anyway from a previous phone/sat nav combo.
With most car chargers the drain of using internal GPS with a sat nav app will actually drain the battery (or at least not recharge) so there is some benefit.

incorrect thread noted....
Title: Re: Android
Post by: slackline on July 16, 2012, 10:31:52 am
I just use a map most of the time, long journeys are easy, complete waste of time sitting on motorways having a GPS navigation system telling you to keep on going and then three hours later to turn off.  Its only in unfamiliar towns that GPS navigation is really of any use (to me) and thats a short term thing so drain on battery (whether its a phone or GPS device) will be minimal.

On an old Nokia N95 tracking a walk the battery died after ~4hrs, on the Galaxy SII I've not actually noticed a huge drain on GPS usage and its easily tracked an eight hour walk without using more than 50% of battery.  Guess it boils down to the frequency of polling GPS location that applications are programmed to do.
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Dolly on July 18, 2012, 12:07:53 pm
Just got a Nexus 7 in the office.
First impressions are positive.
Looks good and feels nice to hold because of the slightly stippled back.

One of the first things I noticed was how fast the thing is compared to all the other android and iOS devices
Title: Re: Android
Post by: slackline on July 18, 2012, 12:22:38 pm
One of the first things I noticed was how fast the thing is compared to all the other android and iOS devices

Mostly likely down to the improvements in Android 4.1 (http://www.android.com/whatsnew/).
Title: Re: Android
Post by: tommytwotone on July 18, 2012, 12:41:59 pm
Dammit - Dollly, you're the second person I know who's got hold of one today, and I'm sat here champing at the bit waiting for mine to arrive!


Title: Re: Android
Post by: Obi-Wan is lost... on July 18, 2012, 01:05:00 pm
Dammit - Dollly, you're the second person I know who's got hold of one today, and I'm sat here champing at the bit waiting for mine to arrive!
+1. I got a polite email from Google today saying 16gb ones aren't shipping til next week! He I am jonesing for my Nexus fix.

If I'd bought it from ebuyer I would have saved a tenner and it would probably be here by now. Grrrr. Some people received them last friday!
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Paul B on July 18, 2012, 01:17:14 pm
I'd be glad you didn't buy from Ebuyer, they don't exactly have a good reputation for customer service  :worms:
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Obi-Wan is lost... on July 18, 2012, 02:45:36 pm
I'd be glad you didn't buy from Ebuyer, they don't exactly have a good reputation for customer service  :worms:

I've heard that before but personally never had a problem with them, used them loads of times. Must just be lucky. I'm guessing Google must be using a 3rd party for shipping, doubt they have their own UK/Europe delivery set up, so that's a total unknown.
Title: Re: Android
Post by: slackline on July 18, 2012, 02:49:22 pm
I've heard that before but personally never had a problem with them, used them loads of times. Must just be lucky.

Ditto, I've never had a problem over a number of years ordering various things.  Only time I had to return something was an external HD delivered to work.  Excitedly tried it out there and then and it was fine, then cycled home with it in the pannier.  It no longer worked at home.  Ebuyer arranged collection and replacement within a day or two (although I deviously omitted to tell them about the journey home the drive had taken :-[ ).
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Paul B on July 18, 2012, 02:55:36 pm
I'd be glad you didn't buy from Ebuyer, they don't exactly have a good reputation for customer service  :worms:

I've heard that before but personally never had a problem with them, used them loads of times. Must just be lucky. I'm guessing Google must be using a 3rd party for shipping, doubt they have their own UK/Europe delivery set up, so that's a total unknown.

I bought a PC when the price of RAM was cheap and got an absolute bargain. My (ebuyer bought) PC broke after 13months of use (motherboard), they calculated how much to give me back due to depreciation (f*ck all) despite the fact that the same PC had appreciated massively in the time period due to the price hike in RAM and hard drives. They couldn't/wouldn't understand that and why I wasn't happy that I couldn't afford to replace it with something of the equivalent spec.
Title: Re: Android
Post by: slackline on July 18, 2012, 03:02:14 pm
Ahha, I remember that saga now.  How did it end?
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Paul B on July 18, 2012, 03:06:13 pm
Ahha, I remember that saga now.  How did it end?

They paid out at the depreciated value.
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Obi-Wan is lost... on July 18, 2012, 03:20:26 pm
13 months? Out of warranty? You were lucky they paid you anything, most companies wouldn't.
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Paul B on July 18, 2012, 04:26:15 pm
13 months? Out of warranty? You were lucky they paid you anything, most companies wouldn't.

they're required to, a 12month warranty is irrelevant, its all regarding to design life. I can't remember if its 3 or 5 years but its one of the two.
Title: Re: Android
Post by: tommytwotone on July 19, 2012, 10:53:55 am
just got mine this morning, first impressions very good, even though it took a few minutes to work out how to get the box out of the sleeve thing it comes in!

Have only really booted it up, synched mail and put it on charge so going to have a proper play with transferring music / films etc later on.

Anyone know if it's possible to move the apps you've got on an Android mobile over onto the tablet? Not a massive hassle as all of mine are free anyway, would just be less time-consuming.


Title: Re: Android
Post by: slackline on July 19, 2012, 10:57:01 am
just got mine this morning, first impressions very good, even though it took a few minutes to work out how to get the box out of the sleeve thing it comes in!

Have only really booted it up, synched mail and put it on charge so going to have a proper play with transferring music / films etc later on.

Anyone know if it's possible to move the apps you've got on an Android mobile over onto the tablet? Not a massive hassle as all of mine are free anyway, would just be less time-consuming.

Never done it, but it should be possible (https://www.google.co.uk/search?client=opera&rls=en-GB&q=install+android+applications+on+multiple+devices&sourceid=opera&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&channel=suggest)
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Obi-Wan is lost... on July 19, 2012, 12:11:33 pm
just got mine this morning
I can see on the TNT website mine is sat with a neighbour waiting for me... :bounce:

You should be able to install apps from https://play.google.com/apps . Will be interesting to see what options you have when more than one device is registered.
Title: Re: Android
Post by: tommytwotone on July 19, 2012, 01:13:11 pm
Yeah, just tried that route - it's picking up my Nexus as a linked device alongside my HTC phone.

I manually installed Plume using the Google Play store on the tablet and at the moment it's showing me a nice breakdown of what apps are installed on the HTC and what's on the Nexus.

Sadly no handy big red button with "copy all apps across" written on it!

Title: Re: Android
Post by: slackline on July 19, 2012, 01:50:24 pm
I'm not sure "copying" would be exactly what you want to do as the applications themselves may be implemented slightly differently between phones and tablets.
Title: Re: Android
Post by: lukeh on July 19, 2012, 02:36:51 pm
Has anyone got any browser recommendations? Probably more interested in mobiles rather than tablets but welcome both experiences :)

I've recently retired my HTC Desire, which I never had any problems with the stock browser on - It was quick, easy to highlight text with and it reflowed text to fit the screen. All boxes ticked.

I've now got a Samsung S3, and was disappointed when I found out that text reflowing wasn't a feature of Android itself, as it doesn't feature on the Samsung stock browser. I tried Opera as it was the only browser with the text reflow feature but found it tempermental when using flash and selecting text.

So I'm currently back onto Samsung's stock browser, and doing the annoying left right screen movement with each line...

Cheers!
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Fatboy on July 19, 2012, 03:01:27 pm
Has anyone got any browser recommendations? Probably more interested in mobiles rather than tablets but welcome both experiences :)

I've recently retired my HTC Desire, which I never had any problems with the stock browser on - It was quick, easy to highlight text with and it reflowed text to fit the screen. All boxes ticked.

I've now got a Samsung S3, and was disappointed when I found out that text reflowing wasn't a feature of Android itself, as it doesn't feature on the Samsung stock browser. I tried Opera as it was the only browser with the text reflow feature but found it tempermental when using flash and selecting text.

So I'm currently back onto Samsung's stock browser, and doing the annoying left right screen movement with each line...

Cheers!

Chrome for Android, it's a no-brainer!!  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Jim on July 19, 2012, 03:26:06 pm
dolphin hd?
Title: Re: Android
Post by: IanP on July 19, 2012, 04:12:50 pm
dolphin hd?

I use Dolphin HD on my Desire, very nice to use, definitely better functionality than the stock browser.  Believe that Chrome is the general recommended choice for higher versions of Android (I'm still on 2.2!).
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Doug on July 20, 2012, 07:30:11 pm
So I'm currently back onto Samsung's stock browser, and doing the annoying left right screen movement with each line...

Can't speak for the S3, but on the S2 the stock browser didn't have text wrapping set as a default. You could change it in the browers settings by going to Settings-->Advanced-->then check the 'Auto-fit pages' box (found under the 'Page Content' sub-heading). Then double clicking to zoom into pages automatically re-formatted it.

Source: http://thehandheldblog.com/2011/06/14/galaxy-s2-tips-tricks/ (http://thehandheldblog.com/2011/06/14/galaxy-s2-tips-tricks/)
Also see: http://thehandheldblog.com/2012/06/12/galaxy-s3-tips-tricks/ (http://thehandheldblog.com/2012/06/12/galaxy-s3-tips-tricks/)
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Bubba on July 20, 2012, 07:50:36 pm
Lifehacker's top 5 Android browsers (http://lifehacker.com/5925969/five-best-android-web-browsers)
Title: Re: Android
Post by: slackline on July 20, 2012, 08:14:34 pm
I quite like Operas way of handling forums, does some reformatting of PHP based forums, whether thats down to the browser of smart CSS on the sites/forums I use I've no idea.
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Bubba on July 20, 2012, 08:44:18 pm
Fortunately, most forums I use (including this one) have installed Tapatalk (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.quoord.tapatalkpro.activity&hl=en) - well worth a couple of quid for the amount of use I've had out of it.
Title: Re: Android
Post by: lukeh on July 21, 2012, 11:21:46 am
Thanks for all the browser knowledge. Chrome is a pleasure to use, best out of the lifehackers top 5, but no flash support.

Can't speak for the S3, but on the S2 the stock browser didn't have text wrapping set as a default. You could change it in the browers settings by going to Settings-->Advanced-->then check the 'Auto-fit pages' box (found under the 'Page Content' sub-heading). Then double clicking to zoom into pages automatically re-formatted it.

Shouldn't have missed this,  :slap: seems to solve the problem!

The stock browser is not quite as nice to use as chrome/opera, but is by far the most stable...
Title: Re: Android
Post by: slackline on July 21, 2012, 11:24:23 am
Thanks for all the browser knowledge. Chrome is a pleasure to use, best out of the lifehackers top 5, but no flash support.

Probably 'cause of HTML5s increasing prominence and use coupled with Adobe discontinuing flash for mobile (http://phandroid.com/2011/11/09/adobe-will-discontinue-flash-player-for-mobile-focusing-instead-on-html-5/).
Title: Re: Re: Android
Post by: lukeh on July 21, 2012, 12:38:48 pm
Thanks for all the browser knowledge. Chrome is a pleasure to use, best out of the lifehackers top 5, but no flash support.

Probably 'cause of HTML5s increasing prominence and use coupled with Adobe discontinuing flash for mobile (http://phandroid.com/2011/11/09/adobe-will-discontinue-flash-player-for-mobile-focusing-instead-on-html-5/).

Yea, a solid reason behind it, but sadly I seem to come across flash too often to ignore it yet... most notably the bbc.
Title: Re: Android
Post by: tommytwotone on July 21, 2012, 07:10:58 pm
So having got my Nexus up and running, despite it meant to be coming with fifteen quid of Play credit I don't appear to have it.

Anyone managed to track it down word?
Title: Re: Android
Post by: slackline on July 25, 2012, 10:06:21 am
Of interest to some....40 tips & tricks for Nexus 7 (http://blog.the-ebook-reader.com/2012/07/18/40-tips-and-tricks-for-google-nexus-7-tablet/)
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Jaspersharpe on August 01, 2012, 03:28:47 pm
New Swype Beta:

http://forum.swype.com/showthread.php?6389-Next-Generation-Swype-Beta-June-2012-Details-inside (http://forum.swype.com/showthread.php?6389-Next-Generation-Swype-Beta-June-2012-Details-inside)

Freaky shit. It learns the sentences you write and predicts the next word. Also names etc, I wrote Boris in a text and it offered "Yeltsin" or "Johnson".

The whole thing is much smoother than the preinstalled version on my S2 (which wasn't exactly shabby itself). AMAZING.  ;D
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Paul B on August 01, 2012, 03:32:40 pm
whilst its no doubt great the swype beta gets on my nerves a bit taking up ~30% of my internal memory and forcing you to upgrade. If this one does the same I'll have to ditch it as it just won't fit.

If anyone saw my XBMC thread, the official XBMC remote is amazing allowing you to control "now playing", "playlists", volume etc. on your XBMC system. With clever add-ons and more than one instance of XBMC you can have sync'd music playing throughout the house/flat.
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Jaspersharpe on August 01, 2012, 03:39:53 pm
whilst its no doubt great the swype beta gets on my nerves a bit taking up ~30% of my internal memory and forcing you to upgrade. If this one does the same I'll have to ditch it as it just won't fit.

Not massive, 17.75MB. The "proper" preinstalled version is almost twice as big.
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Paul B on August 01, 2012, 03:46:34 pm
now looks at the installer too...
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Jaspersharpe on August 01, 2012, 04:48:23 pm
Installer is 500KB? Whole thing still way less than any one of the four versions of Angry Birds I have on my phone purely for child quietening.

Swype is indispensable and the new one is another level.
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Paul B on August 01, 2012, 05:00:19 pm
It was 13mb last time, I had to remove things, use it, remove it etc. I understand this is completely a limitation of my dumbphone, roll on March.
Title: Re: Android
Post by: butters on August 01, 2012, 07:52:07 pm
The installer and the SWYPE package are two different things.

From memory the old US spelling version comes in at a smaller size (11.5MB?) as it doesn't have the Spanish variant included as well but it the down side is the really annoying Americanized spelling instead. No idea about the new variant as I am out of space on my HTC Desire - roll on end of month and a new shiny phone with a fuck load of app space. 
Title: Re: Android
Post by: slackline on September 13, 2012, 09:09:06 am
Putting this here as it requires a rooted Android 4.* phone and isn't a straight-forward app to install.

Google Now for rooted Android 4.* (ICS) phones (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=29756226)
Title: Re: Android
Post by: chris j on September 18, 2012, 01:14:54 pm
Ok, I'm a complete android luddite, just knowing enough to be dangerous, as exemplified by managing to soft-brick my Samsung Galaxy Tab while trying to upgrade from the Android 3.2 it came with to a semi-official 4.0 (the Odin update program crashed halfway through and left two partitions unformatted so I couldn't reinstall anything). Unbelievably Carphone Warehouse have been good enough to replace it so my question for anyone is can I backup a copy of the drive, similar to saving a PC hard drive image, so when I inevitably f*ck it up again I can just reload the image and start from scratch? If anyone can explain in English rather than the techno-babble they seem to use on the android forums then that would be awesome!

Cheers!
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Paul B on September 18, 2012, 01:49:30 pm
yes, you need Clockworkrecoverymod installed, that allows you to make a system image just as you would a PC.

Unfortunately to install it you need Root access, this may or may not be straightforward. A quick google suggests Z4 root from Marketplace should do the trick.
Title: Re: Android
Post by: chris j on September 28, 2012, 10:56:51 am
Thanks for that Paul. Seems straightforward now I've had a chance to look into it. Bit weird every device seeming to have its own version of the software given most of them have probably got 90% the same hardware inside...
Title: Re: Android
Post by: slackline on September 28, 2012, 11:06:10 am
Thanks for that Paul. Seems straightforward now I've had a chance to look into it. Bit weird every device seeming to have its own version of the software given most of them have probably got 90% the same hardware inside...

Thats because each manufacturer has their own Android overlay (Samsung == TouchWiz; HTC == Sense etc. etc.).

If phones/tablets come from carriers such as Vodafone, T-Mobile/Orange, Three etc. then ontop of that the carrier places overlays and often make it awkward to root your phone and then do what you want with it.

Its a good reason to just buy your devices out-right yourself.
Title: Re: Android
Post by: chris j on September 28, 2012, 11:19:53 am

Its a good reason to just buy your devices out-right yourself.

I've done that for a few years, but more because I'm tight and on a sim-only deal for £7 a month since I realised phones last longer than a year and I really don't need to be paying the network £xx a month for the privilege of a 'free' upgrade every year. (but that's a whole different thread...)
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Bubba on October 07, 2012, 06:12:46 pm
May be of use to someone. I've just been playing with this and it's handy if you want to play some Android games on your PC or to use particular apps.  I suspect it's of limited use apart from games but I've found it handy to run my interval trainer app on the PC, freeing up the phone for other tasks when training.

Bluestacks Android emulator (http://bluestacks.com/)  Works on PC & Apple (ha! run Android apps on your Mac!) and possibly Linux via Wine (have not investigated any further than seeing a reference)

Once installed on the desktop, it's pretty easy to install the companion app on your phone and sync any required apps to your computer.

It's still in beta so don't expect the most polished thing ever...

Title: Re: Android
Post by: slackline on October 07, 2012, 06:21:24 pm
Bluestacks Android emulator (http://bluestacks.com/)  Works on PC & Apple (ha! run Android apps on your Mac!) and possibly Linux via Wine (have not investigated any further than seeing a reference)

Native solution (http://news.softpedia.com/news/How-to-Run-Android-Applications-on-Ubuntu-115152.shtml) (for the hordes of Linux users!)
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Bubba on October 07, 2012, 06:30:18 pm
That looks more like a development emulator - Bluestacks allows you to run apps fullscreen rather than just on an picture of your phone :)
Title: Re: Android
Post by: slackline on October 07, 2012, 08:05:15 pm
Ah, ok.  Will post details if I find anything similar.
Title: Re: Android
Post by: slackline on December 04, 2012, 07:40:13 am
XBMC ported to Android (http://wiki.xbmc.org/index.php?title=XBMC_for_Android_specific_FAQ)  8)
Title: Re: Android
Post by: slackline on December 05, 2012, 08:20:00 am
XBMC ported to Android (http://wiki.xbmc.org/index.php?title=XBMC_for_Android_specific_FAQ)  8)

Runs ok on Samsung Galaxy S2, not tested/played with it extensively yet though, but it picks up my NAS and other media servers, streams music & video (although one thing I did notice is if media sound was already muted whilst you could control the volume within XBMC it didn't restore levels, minor though).
Title: Re: Android
Post by: slackline on December 20, 2012, 08:10:45 am
Anyone with a Samsung device that has an Exynos processor (see the article for a list of devices) might want to use Chainfires Exynos App (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2050297) to patch the kernel exploit (at the same time it roots your device, although its simple to unroot from within the application too).  More background information here (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2053824).
Title: Re: Android
Post by: tomtom on December 20, 2012, 08:23:06 am
Anyone with a Samsung device that has an Exynos processor (see the article for a list of devices) might want to use Chainfires Exynos App (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2050297) to patch the kernel exploit (at the same time it roots your device, although its simple to unroot from within the application too).  More background information here (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2053824).

It didnt make any sense to me in Afrikaans either.. ;)

Quote
Enigiemand met 'n Samsung-toestel wat 'n Exynos verwerker (sien die artikel vir 'n lys van toestelle) wil dalk Chainfires Exynos App te gebruik om die kern ontgin (op dieselfde tyd wat dit wortels jou toestel te pleister, hoewel sy maklik om te uitroei van binne dieaansoek ook). Meer agtergrond inligting hier.
Title: Re: Android
Post by: slackline on December 20, 2012, 08:49:29 am
There's a bug in the kernel for devices with these processors that is easy to exploit (particularly if you used cracked apps).  This fixes it as Samsung and all subsequent carriers are dragging their heels.  ;)
Title: Re: Re: Android
Post by: lukeh on December 20, 2012, 08:57:28 am
Anyone with a Samsung device that has an Exynos processor (see the article for a list of devices) might want to use Chainfires Exynos App (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2050297) to patch the kernel exploit (at the same time it roots your device, although its simple to unroot from within the application too).  More background information here (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2053824).

Cheers for flagging. Would I be right in saying that this security flaw is exploited by apps available from Google play and so could potentially become widely used, but that you would have had to download an app containing the malware first?

Therefore it may be easier to download apps more carefully, sticking to apps with lots of downloads/from reputable authors until Samsung releases a patch that doesn't a) break my camera and b) require me to learn what the implications of rooting my device are?

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

Title: Re: Android
Post by: slackline on December 20, 2012, 10:57:05 am
I've no idea if Google are scanning applications for whether they exploit this problem I'm afraid.

The exploit isn't hard (the linked article indicates its only 30 lines of code) so it could easily be injected into an existing package.

If you use this fix then you won't have to bother worrying about being circumspect with the applications you install.  My recommendation would be to read Chainfires posts in detail and the associated threads as I'm sure others will have asked or have similar questions to yourself, and I can't answer them properly.


It didn't break my camera (Galaxy SII) and there aren't really any implications of rooting your device it just means there are a whole lot more applications that you can use (although it voids your warranty, but then paradoxically your warranty would also be voided if the kernel problem were exploited without you having done anything!)
Title: Re: Android
Post by: slackline on January 24, 2013, 01:48:48 pm
Samsung start rolling out Android 4.1.2 for the Galaxy SII (http://www.sammobile.com/2013/01/23/samsung-rolls-out-android-4-1-2-jelly-bean-update-to-the-galaxy-s-ii/)  8)
Title: Re: Android
Post by: slackline on January 28, 2013, 08:57:46 pm
Make your Android device truly free (http://fsfe.org/campaigns/android/android.html)  :geek:
Title: Re: Android
Post by: slackline on September 19, 2013, 11:03:46 am
Cyanogenmod for all \o/ (http://www.cyanogenmod.org/blog/a_new_chapter)

Raised $7million to build a "better" Android (http://www.theverge.com/2013/9/18/4742828/cyanogen-raises-7-million-to-build-the-best-version-of-android)
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Jaspersharpe on September 19, 2013, 02:51:04 pm
Cyanogenmod for all \o/ (http://www.cyanogenmod.org/blog/a_new_chapter)


Not got time to read all that but having skimmed it, does this basically mean that once the installer is available you'll be able to put a cyanogenmod OS on without all the fucking about?
Title: Re: Android
Post by: slackline on September 19, 2013, 02:55:33 pm
Yes, that is my interpretation of what they aim to have.
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Jaspersharpe on September 19, 2013, 04:41:50 pm
Cool.
Title: Re: Android
Post by: whealiebob on September 19, 2013, 10:56:05 pm
At the risk of sounding stupid and too lazy to read... Could you install it on a non-Android phone? I'm on the betamax of phones; the wonderful Symbian!
Title: Re: Android
Post by: slackline on September 20, 2013, 07:11:14 am
Cyanogenmod is Android, its completely open-source (some of the Google applications like Gmail, Maps etc. aren't, more recently some of the drivers for chips used in some devices aren't either, I think the head of development resigned over this issue with regards to chips used in the Nexus 7, just been snapped up by Yahoo!).

If the hardware is supported by the linux kernel that sits under the hood of Android then conceptually I can't see why it wouldn't run on any phone, you could see if the model of your phone has a version available (although Symbian is quite possibly the OS your phone is running rather than a specific model of phone like an HTC One or Samsung Galaxy SIII).
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Jim on September 20, 2013, 11:13:30 am
symbian is nokia OS IIRC. I don't think the hardware will be compatible with android.
To be honest, if you want an android smart phone, why go to all the bother of hacking and changing your OS (which can be done on many smart phones running different OS's) when you can buy a half decent one for practically fuck-allTM these days?
Title: Re: Android
Post by: slackline on September 20, 2013, 11:39:00 am
symbian is nokia OS IIRC. I don't think the hardware will be compatible with android.
To be honest, if you want an android smart phone, why go to all the bother of hacking and changing your OS (which can be done on many smart phones running different OS's) when you can buy a half decent one for practically fuck-allTM these days?

What is the difference between Android and CyanogenMod (http://wiki.cyanogenmod.org/w/About#So_what_is_the_difference_between_Android_and_CyanogenMod.3F)

(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m9oqczBaja1rbtwu3o1_400.jpg)

...and from the same page...

Quote
CM is an alternative operating system intended to replace the one pre-installed on your smart phones and tablets. If you've got an older device that isn't getting updates anymore, or if your device seems unusually slow, or maybe you're sick of spyware, adware, and other unwanted garbage on your phone that you can't remove... Maybe your device is missing features or has been otherwise artificially limited in functionality. Perhaps you just could use a boost in performance... Or maybe you'd like to be more confident that your operating system has included some of the latest bug fixes...

If so, CM might be for you. (http://wiki.cyanogenmod.org/w/About#What_does_it_all_mean_to_me.3F)


Less of an issue if you've bagged a Nexus 4/7 device (the best value fuck-all devices) as they run stock Android and are maintained with regular updates.
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Jim on September 20, 2013, 12:28:22 pm
I was refering to non-android smart phones i.e. in my case HTC HD2 running windows mobile 6.5 (now called windows embedded handheld)
Title: Re: Android
Post by: whealiebob on September 20, 2013, 12:33:26 pm
Cheers for the replies, yeah Symbian is the Nokia OS, my phone is actually the C6-01. I've done a bit more reading since I posted and there's no chance of running anything remotely Androidy on it.

I'm just bored with my phone and did have a cheap Sony android phone, but it was so rubbish I flogged it to CEX and went back to the Nokia.

Might have to look through the Mobile recommendations thread for an idea for a better one.

Dave
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Jim on September 20, 2013, 12:38:11 pm
I have a nokia 6303ci work phone and the HD2.
I much prefer to use the nokia as a phone and to text with. The HD2 is handy for doing emails and web stuff through.
There are loads of good quality cheap android phones out there now, probably one of the best value for money is the nexus 4 IMHO
Title: Re: Android
Post by: slackline on September 20, 2013, 12:40:33 pm
I was refering to non-android smart phones i.e. in my case HTC HD2 running windows mobile 6.5 (now called windows embedded handheld)

Sorry, I misinterpreted. :oops:


Might have to look through the Mobile recommendations thread for an idea for a better one.

Nexus 4 (8Gb or 16Gb) are best value at moment, they both had £80 knocked of the price a month ago (clearing stock pending the announcement of the Nexus 5).

Only drawback is that there is no replaceable battery nor micro-SD slot.  If it weren't for this I'd trade/sell my Galaxy S2 (best price seems to be around £115 when I checked recently) and get the 16Gb Nexus 4 for essentially £85 and stick with my £10/month SIM only contract.

EDIT : What Jim said
Title: Re: Android
Post by: whealiebob on September 20, 2013, 12:44:18 pm
Yeah, I've had the C6 for nearly 4 years and it's great for it's age. I actually think Symbian is better than Android for being a phone, but it just lacks apps, games (well, anything really).

Anyone used any of the LTE's or Huawei's. Seem cheap for their spec.
Title: Re: Android
Post by: whealiebob on September 20, 2013, 12:45:13 pm
 :sorry: :offtopic:
Title: Re: Android
Post by: slackline on September 20, 2013, 12:53:53 pm
Yeah, I've had the C6 for nearly 4 years and it's great for it's age. I actually think Symbian is better than Android for being a phone, but it just lacks apps, games (well, anything really).

All the things that aren't essential to being a phone then.  ;)

Anyone used any of the LTE's or Huawei's. Seem cheap for their spec.

Nope.
Title: Re: Android
Post by: whealiebob on September 20, 2013, 01:01:31 pm
Sorry, just realised how stupid that statement was...
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Johnny Brown on September 20, 2013, 02:07:49 pm
get the 16Gb Nexus 4 for essentially £85 and stick with my £10/month SIM only contract.

EDIT : What Jim said

Wife needs a new phone - am I missing something here or are this Nexus 4 still >£200? I think once you're over 50 fuck-alls you should start dealing in fuck-loads.
Title: Re: Android
Post by: slackline on September 20, 2013, 02:18:22 pm
Yes the current Nexus 4 aren't > £200, the 16Gb Nexus 4 is £199 (https://play.google.com/store/devices/details/Nexus_4_16GB?id=nexus_4_16gb&hl=en_GB) which technically is < £200 (but only by a fraction of a fuck-all).

The 8Gb Nexus 4 is £159 (https://play.google.com/store/devices/details/Nexus_4_8_GB?id=nexus_4_8gb&hl=en_GB) if she doesn't use the phone for storing tons of stuff on (e.g. music, can use Google Music to circumvent this). EDIT : These are sold out in the UK now.

Both were reduced by £80 about a month ago.

I think once you're over 50 fuck-alls you should start dealing in fuck-loads.

 :agree:
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Johnny Brown on September 20, 2013, 02:28:25 pm
I was looking for a maximum of 40 fuck alls tbh.
Title: Re: Android
Post by: slackline on September 20, 2013, 02:30:25 pm
If you're not bothered about second hand that could be an option.  Might require the purchase of a new battery though so a bit of a gamble.
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Jim on September 20, 2013, 03:48:11 pm
misses just got a new S3 and 600mins, unlimited text and 650mb data for £22 month 24month contract with a bit of haggling which was too good not to get.
Title: Re: Android
Post by: slackline on September 20, 2013, 04:01:25 pm
misses just got a new S3 and 600mins, unlimited text and 650mb data for £22 month 24month contract with a bit of haggling which was too good not to get.

Does she use that many minutes/texts/data?

They S3 are £284 to buy outright and you can get similar packages for roughly £10/month SIM only.  Over a two year period this doesn't really save much (£4) but you're not tied into a two year contract, and can thus sell the phone before two years and lots of depreciation.

Anyone looking for a new phone would benefit from using Bill Monitor (http://www.billmonitor.com/) (Ofcom approved) which points you to the "best contract" (customisable) based on the last three months of your phone usage.  I get emails telling me I can save £0.24/year if I switched contracts.
Title: Re: Android
Post by: tomtom on September 20, 2013, 04:50:04 pm
I just had some spam from Expansys.com - they've got the S3 mini for £179..... sim/contract free etc...
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Bubba on September 20, 2013, 10:19:47 pm
S3 Mini doesn't get great reviews...
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Jaspersharpe on September 21, 2013, 02:00:35 am
Life isn't complicated. You get what you pay for.

Unless you want an imprint of an apple on your phone.

Bless you.
Title: Re: Android
Post by: mrjonathanr on September 21, 2013, 09:17:01 am
S3 Mini doesn't get great reviews...
t

I have one. Works fine foe basics, I don't do anything too technical. A bit difficult to see screen in v bright sunlight.
£17 a month for 24 months w 02.
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Jim on September 21, 2013, 11:55:19 am
misses just got a new S3 and 600mins, unlimited text and 650mb data for £22 month 24month contract with a bit of haggling which was too good not to get.

Does she use that many minutes/texts/data?

They S3 are £284 to buy outright and you can get similar packages for roughly £10/month SIM only.  Over a two year period this doesn't really save much (£4) but you're not tied into a two year contract, and can thus sell the phone before two years and lots of depreciation.
£22 a month for 24 months split as follows:
£10 month for 24 months for phone = £240 for phone, roughly £50 saving on phone.
£12 a month for 24 months for tariff, I bet you can't find anything that comes anywhere close to that sort of allowance for £12 a month sim only so irrelevant if she uses that much or not, and no there wasn't a lower tariff that we could of had.
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Jaspersharpe on September 21, 2013, 12:24:39 pm
Also the good thing with those new O2 contracts is you're not "tied in" as such cos you can always pay the phone bit off whenever you want. It's basically £12 a month contract for a load of usage and an interest free loan to buy the phone.

I'm getting the same for Mrs S tomorrow (and she uses most of the 600 mins too).

 :off: :off: :off:
Title: Re: Android
Post by: slackline on September 22, 2013, 10:44:01 am
 :offtopic: Interesting, thanks for sharing details. :offtopic:
Title: Re: Android
Post by: slackline on September 24, 2013, 12:02:18 pm
Back on topic Android remote lockdown live (http://www.androidpolice.com/2013/09/23/full-remote-device-lockdown-is-now-live-in-the-android-device-manager-instantly-overrides-previous-lock-settings-with-specified-password/).
Title: Re: Android
Post by: slackline on September 24, 2013, 01:18:56 pm
Cyanogenmod for all \o/ (http://www.cyanogenmod.org/blog/a_new_chapter)

Raised $7million to build a "better" Android (http://www.theverge.com/2013/9/18/4742828/cyanogen-raises-7-million-to-build-the-best-version-of-android)

An interesting post from the developer of Focal, CyanogenMods own camera (https://plus.google.com/106978520009932034644/posts/L8FJkrcahPs) on the direction CyanogenInc may be taking which seems somewhat contradictory if its bears out as suggested.
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Paul B on September 27, 2013, 04:52:35 pm
Although I had a few (massive) headaches with my newly acquired Nexus 7 II, now that it's up and running I'm really pleased with it, the implementation of separate user profiles makes it much easier to share with Nat without it becoming a mess.

It also looks like the Nexus 10 MK II has been tentatively announced (vague specs and a release date of one day before the next iPad). Essentially it looks like the same tablet with a slightly lighter (same res.) screen and potentially a micro SD slot (it'll also run the newest version of Android, KitKat).

My parents are currently looking for a 10" tablet and whilst previously I'd have suggested an iPad (for the "just works" aspect) the Nexus 10 original is currently being discounted and looks like it'll do everything they want for much cheaper (the only vaguely complex thing is my Dads music collection [12Gb] which he uses extensively on multiple devices but Google music looks like a solution?) the rest of the things they require are fairly standard (browsing, sky player etc.). Have I missed a glaringly obvious failing of the device which would make an iPad superior?

Title: Re: Android
Post by: slackline on October 21, 2013, 11:12:28 am
http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2013/10/googles-iron-grip-on-android-controlling-open-source-by-any-means-necessary/ (http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2013/10/googles-iron-grip-on-android-controlling-open-source-by-any-means-necessary/)
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Muenchener on October 23, 2013, 06:44:31 am
I'm looking for a reasonably robust, reasonably cheap smartphone for my 10 yo son.

I have a Motorola Defy+ as my mountain phone and it's close to fitting the bill - available for 130 Euros on amazon.de and definitely robust: I've had mine in my jacket pocket on heinous weather alpine hikes when I was soaked to the skin for hours, and it was fine. It's rather slow though, and comes with an ancient version of android (and doesn't seem to be supported by CyanogenMod without extensive risky fiddling that I can't be bothered with)

So: should I just get another one of these, or is there something similar but more modern and not too much more expensive?
Title: Android
Post by: tomtom on October 23, 2013, 08:48:47 am
Its not android, but the Nokia 520 has had very good reviews (and I believe is the best selling WP8 handset) - and is about that price...
Title: Re: Android
Post by: slackline on October 23, 2013, 09:15:37 am
No idea of the spec of the model you mention but if its not high and you want something half decent consider second hand.  Samsung Galaxy S2 would be my biased recommendation (not being flush enough to buy a new phone every week and compare them).  Mine survives everything I throw at it, getting wet in pocket whilst cycling, taken up routes in the Dolomites, cragging etc. etc.  Recently installed CyanogenMod-10.1.3 on it, its very nice and as I'd already rooted my phone was a piece of piss to install (even more so as I purchased the pro version of MobileOdin which is a brilliant app).
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Bubba on October 23, 2013, 12:02:54 pm
:agree:

I've just got rid of my Samsung Galaxy S2 and it was a great phone.  It's the first time I've felt like I didn't really need to upgrade even after 2yr contract had run out.

About £130 on ebay for an unlocked used one:

example 1 (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Samsung-Galaxy-S-II-GT-I9100-16-GB-Black-Unlocked-Smartphone-Mobile-Phone-AVE-/251244817385?pt=UK_Mobile_Phones&hash=item3a7f5babe9)

example 2 (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Samsung-Galaxy-S-II-GT-I9100G-16-GB-Black-Unlocked-Smartphone-/251363524858?pt=UK_Mobile_Phones&hash=item3a866f00fa)
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Jaspersharpe on October 23, 2013, 12:08:17 pm
 :agree:

I only upgraded cos mine had a smashed screen (fortunately about a week before I was due an upgrade).

What have you got now then Bubba?
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Bubba on October 23, 2013, 12:56:46 pm
S4 - very nice, the screen is stunning :)
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Jaspersharpe on October 23, 2013, 01:02:36 pm
 8)
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Paul B on October 23, 2013, 01:27:19 pm
Its not android, but the Nokia 520 has had very good reviews (and I believe is the best selling WP8 handset) - and is about that price...

The mother-in-law has just got one of these and I was really impressed with it, especially given she was paying less than £10/month (with terrible amounts of data, but still).

I even considered going that direction as a cheap solution (three offered Nat and I a really cheap deal if we were taking out two contract) but I just don't know enough about Win mobile (and haven't yet had chance to look into it). Something tells me I just won't like it.
Title: Re: Android
Post by: tomtom on October 23, 2013, 02:19:35 pm
Its not android, but the Nokia 520 has had very good reviews (and I believe is the best selling WP8 handset) - and is about that price...

The mother-in-law has just got one of these and I was really impressed with it, especially given she was paying less than £10/month (with terrible amounts of data, but still).

I even considered going that direction as a cheap solution (three offered Nat and I a really cheap deal if we were taking out two contract) but I just don't know enough about Win mobile (and haven't yet had chance to look into it). Something tells me I just won't like it.

£100 sim free if you look around... cheap for the real estate it buys...

I had an 820 for a while (until the screen cracked) and I really liked it - WP8 is fine and does some things much better than the others (contact integration for one - and one place where all you facewipe/twitter etc.. updates were focussed). I was lured back into iOS by the screen breaking experience and MrsTT's constant nagging that I couldnt face time her etc.. That said I like the ip5.. But fondly look back on my WP8 experiences..
Title: Re: Android
Post by: slackline on February 18, 2014, 11:04:33 am
Interesting article on external storage direction under Android (http://www.androidpolice.com/2014/02/17/external-blues-google-has-brought-big-changes-to-sd-cards-in-kitkat-and-even-samsung-may-be-implementing-them/)
Title: Re: Android
Post by: B Diamond on March 03, 2014, 12:51:56 pm
Got me a 64gb card on my Galaxy Note. Still gets eaten up by HD images and video,.. and also ROMs :P
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Fultonius on March 03, 2014, 02:05:29 pm
I picked up a new phone about a month ago after my old HTC Sensation went the full distance down a route the other day, and probably finished up in a crevasse.

So, what I got to replace was pretty much the most poorly named phone I could imagine NGM Dynamic Fun (http://www.thephonetrader.co.uk/android/dynamic-fun.html)

What a brilliant phone! It's about the right size for my liking, runs Android, is DUAL SIM!! and has great battery life (3 days of moderate use, 5 days if barely used). Ok, the screen doesn't have amazing viewing angles, it can be a tiny bit laggy at times and probably doesn't have a warranty (it's Italian...) but I think it's great value for money - I got mine for €140)
Title: Re: Android
Post by: slackline on June 16, 2014, 01:45:09 pm
The history of Android: The endless iterations of Google’s mobile OS (from 0.5 to 4.4) (http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2014/06/building-android-a-40000-word-history-of-googles-mobile-os/)
Title: Re: Android
Post by: slackline on July 29, 2014, 02:55:31 pm
A good reason to root and flash a custom ROM >=4.4 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-28544443)
Title: Re: Android
Post by: slackline on May 02, 2015, 08:49:38 am
If you've a problem using an application and would like assistance using it then try AppChat (http://forum.xda-developers.com/android/apps-games/app-appchat-chat-app-phone-alpha-t3097106)
Title: Re: Android
Post by: slackline on May 05, 2015, 01:57:01 pm
A good reason to root and flash a custom ROM >=4.4 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-28544443)

Another good reason to root your phone (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/05/05/android_ad_app/), but this time install AdAway from F-Droid (https://f-droid.org/repository/browse/?fdid=org.adaway) (don't use AdBlock Plus since they let ads through if they've been paid to do so).
Title: Re: Android
Post by: chris j on May 26, 2015, 04:58:17 pm
Question for those who have installed a custom rom, currently I'm running stock android 4.4 on a moto 4g, I'm looking at attempting to change to cyanogenmod 12 (motorola is being excessively slow with the promised android 5 upgrade for the moto g). If I back up my current apps and system data to external sd with something like titanium backup, is that back up specific to the stock rom only, or will I be able to, after installing cm12, restore the backup and have all my apps, data, text messages etc back as they were?
Title: Re: Android
Post by: jakk on May 26, 2015, 05:06:07 pm
Should be fine in general although I think some people have had problems using older backups when moving to android 5 and I think its generally recommended to do everything clean.

On another note, as a regular moto g user the updates should finally be happening about now, although I also gave up on waiting and moved to a stock 5.0 ROM from XDA which seems to work - xposed provides all the customisation I need
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Bubba on May 26, 2015, 07:57:16 pm
Bear in mind that Titanium Backup requires root if you're on a stock ROM at the moment.
Title: Re: Android
Post by: chris j on May 27, 2015, 06:54:16 am
Thanks. I am rooted already. Had tried before unsuccessfully with CM12 (have read since it has a very specific installation procedure) and ended up going back to stock. At that point I thought I had everything backed up with Helium though it seemed it decided I didn't really want to keep all my messages... (hence now using a different backup utility) Just about ready to give it another go once I'm back somewhere with fast enough internet to download the latest nightly.
Title: Re: Android
Post by: slackline on June 13, 2015, 08:41:19 am
Choose your Android phone (https://www.android.com/phones/whichphone/)
Title: Re: Android
Post by: slackline on June 17, 2015, 11:19:28 am
New exploit turns Samsung Galaxy phones into remote bugging devices (http://arstechnica.com/security/2015/06/new-exploit-turns-samsung-galaxy-phones-into-remote-bugging-devices/)

Time to root your phone and remove Samsung IME (their tweaked version of Swiftkey) and install Swiftkey from the Play Store instead.
Title: Re: Android
Post by: slackline on June 26, 2015, 09:51:42 am
Smartphone Energy Drain in the Wild: Analysis and Implications (https://engineering.purdue.edu/~ychu/publications/TR-ECE-15-03.pdf)

Quick summary (http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/smartphone-battery-drains-a-lot-even-with-dark-screen/)

Solution : Root + Amplify (http://www.amplifyandroid.com/) to block/reduce all the wakelocks and alarms.  :coolest: (Play Store link (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ryansteckler.nlpunbounce&hl=en_GB))
Title: Re: Android
Post by: Will Hunt on October 17, 2015, 07:42:13 pm
Does anybody have any experience of using 6.0 (Marshmallow) yet? Specifically on a Nexus 5.
Lollipop basically disabled my phone when it first came out. Really don't want to have to go through that again.
Title: Re: Android
Post by: sjw on October 17, 2015, 07:49:26 pm
Does anybody have any experience of using 6.0 (Marshmallow) yet? Specifically on a Nexus 5.
Lollipop basically disabled my phone when it first came out. Really don't want to have to go through that again.
It upgraded on my Nexus 5 the other day. Not had any problems so far, other than having to reboot once immediately after to sort out sms notifications. Then again, I didn't have any problems with Lollipop.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

Title: Re: Android
Post by: slackline on February 17, 2016, 09:40:53 am
Can't see the need for it myself but if you're not very organised about backing up your phone then this might be of interest...

Meem Memory Cable backs up your phone whilst charging (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/868671768/meem-memory-cable)
Title: Re: Android
Post by: slackline on February 22, 2016, 01:48:54 pm
Shashlik - run Android APKs under GNU/Linux (http://www.shashlik.io/news/2016/02/18/shashlik-0-9-0-kubuntu-package/)
Title: Re: Android
Post by: slackline on April 25, 2016, 01:22:44 pm
Can't find the threads where people were asking about bluetooth keyboards to go with their phone/tablets but...


Superbook (http://getsuperbook.com/) looks interesting, particularly given the increasing power of smartphones.
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