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February 17 2012
May 02 2011
How To Use An Android Phone Without A Data Plan
Android phones are awesome and all, but the fact remains that Android phones are too expensive for some. $30 a month is a lot to pay for a data contract, especially when it takes your monthly bill close to $100 for a single line. But how can you use an Android phone without a data plan? The best option is to buy a used, contract-free device and then activate it without a data plan. Then, keep your cellular data turned off and only use Wi-Fi.
1. Find a good Android phone secondhand
You might be surprised at how cheaply you can get a gently used Android device. eBay or Craigslist are mainstays for buying used electronics, and there’s a new site called Swappa that’s dedicated to providing a marketplace for people trying to buy and sell used Android devices. The prices are low and the site makes it easy to connect with sellers.
On Swappa, you can get an original Droid for as low as $90, a Nexus One for as low as $210, and a Galaxy S for as low as $200, among many more. Granted, these phones are used, but you are still getting a contract-free Android phone for as cheap as you’d pay for a new one and a two-year contract. Make sure that you’re buying a phone that is compatible with your current carrier.
2. Swap out your old phone with your new one
How to switch phones depends on the carrier. If you’re on AT&T or T-Mobile, all you’ll need to do is switch the SIM card from the old phone to the new phone. Sprint requires online activation, and unfortunately Verizon does not allow smartphones to be activated without a data plan.
For Sprint, you can either go through the process at Sprint.com or bring both phones into a retail Sprint store and it will handle the changeover for you.
3. Ensure that cellular data is turned off on your new Android phone
Once you’re up and running on your new phone, it’s very important to ensure that mobile data is turned OFF to avoid getting dinged with a gigantic bill. Without a data plan, your data access is pay-per-use, and the fees are steep — dollars per megabyte in some cases. You’re only going to be able to use Wi-Fi on your smartphone, so you’ll want to turn off the data entirely so you’re sure it won’t be used.
To do this, download an app from the Market called APN on-off Widget. Add the widget to your homescreen and use it to turn your mobile data OFF. If it’s been turned off successfully, you will no longer see 3G, 2G, or 1X listed next to your signal meter in the status bar on your phone.
After this, you’re all ready to go. Enjoy your cheaper Android device!
March 22 2011
Amazon Appstore Launches For Android
In a release today from Amazon, they have launched the Android Appstore, which is the equivalent to the Apple iTunes App Store.
Amazon, which has deep roots in e-commerce, is looking to expand into the mobile marketplace. It is looking to sell apps better than Google can do on its own platform, which it could possibly do. We are all well aware of Google’s Android Marketplace and the reputation it has. Amazon’s Appstore has a great potential to outsell Google and take on Apple in the near future.
Starting tonight, Amazon Appstore will be accessible at amazon.com Android device owners will be able to download the mobile version of the store to their device. With the store supporting hundreds of mobile providers and a variety of different devices, it will spread like wildfire very quickly.
We got a hint of this back in January when Amazon began to recruit a high amount of developers and persuade them to work on this project. With its initial launch, the Appstore will be loaded with 3,800 applications for users to download.
Amazon seems to be just dipping its feet into a slew of different content like music and e-books. This could potentially hurt its efforts due to the company having its attention split amongst other projects and aspects. However, the company seems to be confident of a huge payout at the end.
Currently Amazon cannot compete with the big boys just yet with Android Market and Apple iTunes spanning over 150,000 and 350,000 applications in their libraries. Amazon’s is taking aim at quality over quantity and launching with its biggest app being Angry Birds outfitted for the movie Rio.
Aaron Rubenson, leader of the Amazon Mobile Services division, said:
“The developer response has been really strong. We’ll be launching with a broad range of paid and free and the customers will find lots of best selling titles from Doodle Jump to Call of Duty to Zagat and Tweetcaster. The list goes on and it’s just day one. We are adding more every single day.”
All users and developers of mobile applications are having a common problem when publishing their apps, getting their apps discovered, and monetizing what makes their apps great. Amazon has promised that it will do four things to help with this problem:
- Amazon will offer one free app a day to help with promotion.
- Amazon will offer a feature called Test Drive, which allows a customer to try before they buy. Users will be able to open and use the app from within their computer browser. It will last for about 30 minutes before they are prompted to buy it.
- Amazon will drive recommendations based on a user’s purchase history.
- Amazon is also enabling one-click purchasing for anyone with a credit card on file.
Amazon is also proposing to do some unheard of things to drive app downloads:
For instance, if the developer recommends the app be sold at $1, and Amazon agrees, they’ll make 70 percent, or 70 cents on each download. If Amazon decides to make it free for a day, the developer will make 20 percent off their original recommendation of $1, or 20 cents. The developer will always make whichever is greater.
Amazon will mostly be relying on traffic and downloads by its own referrals to get the service going. After it has been out for a while, it plans to partner with carriers and device makers to get the Appsore natively on the device. Amazon said its first third-party partnership will be with Cellular South, which will make the Appstore available to its customers through preloads and other methods.
March 04 2011
The End of The Netbook? Not For The Reasons Given In Any Case
One of the writers at PC World has declared that, as of today, the netbook is dead. As I don’t have the future plans of all the world’s computer manufacturers in my hand, I can’t say whether or not he is correct; but I suspect that the reasons given in the story are nowhere near correct.
Beginning with the first paragraph, the assumptions are incorrect. The statement that the netbook is what sparked the move to mobile computing is as erroneous as the statement later that netbooks were also borne out of a need to help relieve the back problems of the masses.
To use a bit of humor from Saturday Night Live’s Dana Carvey, “Has the population been taken over by girly men?” Seriously, if weight is the problem, why is it that many women carry laptops in their school bags at college, and they don’t seem to be suffering days missed due to chiropractic visits.
No, the netbook may be a partial answer to portability, but the notebook had taken care of most of the problem before anyone ever thought of netbook as a buzzword.
The netbook was more an answer to lackluster sales of notebooks, as the economy tanked, than any solution for those hardly able to carry themselves in an upright position.
If the netbook goes away, it will only be because the advertising machines that grind out the drivel designed to guide the masses who cannot think independently decide it should.
The idea of it, that we can use a machine with very little in the way of ability to input massive amounts of data through a direct connection is one that can be argued effectively because of the advent of the flash drive. The fact that one can carry 256GB (if one wished to afford it) in the form of something that is hardly as large as a human thumb has made the netbook possible, and useful to many. Optical media, though not going away any time soon, is no longer the only way to get important stuff into the hard drive. Leaving it out of the machine keeps weight down, but also keeps costs down.
One more mistaken notion that the article puts forth is that the majority of people using netbooks are using them while in some form of movement – in a car, on a train, on a plane, etc. The truth is that most people using them are taking them from one stationary place to another. From the house to work, from home to college, from the dorm to the library, from the lecture hall to McDonald’s or Starbucks. Few have their netbooks tethered to a phone for internet access, and I see very few wireless modems in them (and remember that they would be easily seen, as netbooks don’t have PC card slots, so any device allowing connection will be easily seen, as even the various hot spot phones tend to be displayed, and not kept in a pocket).
No, the netbook will not go away because the reasons to have one have been obviated by a tablet, or a smartphone, it will only go away when the cost of those items is in the same range, and those items give the same level of usefulness as the netbook.
Right now, there are ways to do all that can be done with every one of the devices that are ostensibly supplanting the netbook, and the netbook can do it all for less cash.
That is, after all, the very bottom of lines. If Alienware were having a “we’re out of our minds and are giving it all away for $10 sale”, you can bet that all knowing about it would be in line with their sawbucks in hand, even those with the need for a back brace in order to carry it.
§
The End of The Netbook? Not For The Reasons Given In Any Case
One of the writers at PC World has declared that, as of today, the netbook is dead. As I don’t have the future plans of all the world’s computer manufacturers in my hand, I can’t say whether or not he is correct; but I suspect that the reasons given in the story are nowhere near correct.
Beginning with the first paragraph, the assumptions are incorrect. The statement that the netbook is what sparked the move to mobile computing is as erroneous as the statement later that netbooks were also borne out of a need to help relieve the back problems of the masses.
To use a bit of humor from Saturday Night Live’s Dana Carvey, “Has the population been taken over by girly men?” Seriously, if weight is the problem, why is it that many women carry laptops in their school bags at college, and they don’t seem to be suffering days missed due to chiropractic visits.
No, the netbook may be a partial answer to portability, but the notebook had taken care of most of the problem before anyone ever thought of netbook as a buzzword.
The netbook was more an answer to lackluster sales of notebooks, as the economy tanked, than any solution for those hardly able to carry themselves in an upright position.
If the netbook goes away, it will only be because the advertising machines that grind out the drivel designed to guide the masses who cannot think independently decide it should.
The idea of it, that we can use a machine with very little in the way of ability to input massive amounts of data through a direct connection is one that can be argued effectively because of the advent of the flash drive. The fact that one can carry 256GB (if one wished to afford it) in the form of something that is hardly as large as a human thumb has made the netbook possible, and useful to many. Optical media, though not going away any time soon, is no longer the only way to get important stuff into the hard drive. Leaving it out of the machine keeps weight down, but also keeps costs down.
One more mistaken notion that the article puts forth is that the majority of people using netbooks are using them while in some form of movement – in a car, on a train, on a plane, etc. The truth is that most people using them are taking them from one stationary place to another. From the house to work, from home to college, from the dorm to the library, from the lecture hall to McDonald’s or Starbucks. Few have their netbooks tethered to a phone for internet access, and I see very few wireless modems in them (and remember that they would be easily seen, as netbooks don’t have PC card slots, so any device allowing connection will be easily seen, as even the various hot spot phones tend to be displayed, and not kept in a pocket).
No, the netbook will not go away because the reasons to have one have been obviated by a tablet, or a smartphone, it will only go away when the cost of those items is in the same range, and those items give the same level of usefulness as the netbook.
Right now, there are ways to do all that can be done with every one of the devices that are ostensibly supplanting the netbook, and the netbook can do it all for less cash.
That is, after all, the very bottom of lines. If Alienware were having a “we’re out of our minds and are giving it all away for $10 sale”, you can bet that all knowing about it would be in line with their sawbucks in hand, even those with the need for a back brace in order to carry it.
§
March 02 2011
Will The iPad, Like A Virus, Run Its Course?
That’s what at least two sites, that I read daily, are asking, on the verge of the news of the iPad2 announcement.
I don’t have one, but, as someone that has played with one just a bit, I can say it has a very large amount of geek appeal, and I have a daughter that wants one desperately. My son remains unconvinced, though he, too, has played with one just a bit.
I do think it may come down to how adept you are at carrying things with you, and how much you whine about it. (This is no swipe at women, because I know some men just as whiny about carrying things with any heft whatsoever.)
Sure, there is the ability of the iPad to be used as an e-reader, but many have pointed out that other units are far better for reading outdoors, and I would, if I did not already want a more powerful notebook for other reasons, probably buy a netbook, as it can function nearly as well, but just doesn’t have the touch features. I also could see many more considering an iPad if there were any sort of a removable keyboard for it – even one which was totally flat and capacitance-operated. Typing on the screen is just not something I am crazy about, and I know others that won’t give the Apple device a chance because of that.
As a matter of fact, some of those responding to the survey on one of those sites stated that the iPad was not something that they could bear to use for any sort of heavy computing, and that a netbook was better. Those enthralled with the iPad were usually the ones that only did e-mail and web surfing on them, with the occasional use as an e-reader.
Not surprisingly, many said they liked them because of the ability to play games on them – not something I would have guessed, but then, I am not much of a game player on the computer either. I suspect that these people might also like the fact that applications that they do use are easily downloaded, and there is no keeping track of discs or serial numbers.
One of the most interesting uses for the iPad was someone that replied that it made a great remote control for his home theater system. Kind of expensive, and I would probably spend the extra money on CDs, but that is just me, and after all, the size of the iPad would make for an impressive looking remote on the coffee table!
So, there are the converts, but there are also those that find the iPad something they can live without. A favorite response was one where the features of a smartphone had taken the place of an iPad – too bad they had to spend for one to find that out. As smartphones become more capable, I think we will see many more people using them, though I’d say that it will be the younger crowd, not afflicted with presbyopia. Though that is not a problem for me yet, presbyopia seems to be more a divider for usage of these devices than age alone.
The features that are to be upcoming in the newest version of the iPad are not something that I can see changing the minds of any that have already decided they can live without the device, but I do think that many have been waiting for the cameras that surely will be included, and those that have been waiting, will jump on the new model without hesitation.
I know that I’ll probably not buy one for myself, but I just may sneak some time on the one I buy for my daughter. My son will also sneak some time I’m sure, and if there are many FPS games for it, he’ll quickly become a convert.
§
Will The iPad, Like A Virus, Run Its Course?
That’s what at least two sites, that I read daily, are asking, on the verge of the news of the iPad2 announcement.
I don’t have one, but, as someone that has played with one just a bit, I can say it has a very large amount of geek appeal, and I have a daughter that wants one desperately. My son remains unconvinced, though he, too, has played with one just a bit.
I do think it may come down to how adept you are at carrying things with you, and how much you whine about it. (This is no swipe at women, because I know some men just as whiny about carrying things with any heft whatsoever.)
Sure, there is the ability of the iPad to be used as an e-reader, but many have pointed out that other units are far better for reading outdoors, and I would, if I did not already want a more powerful notebook for other reasons, probably buy a netbook, as it can function nearly as well, but just doesn’t have the touch features. I also could see many more considering an iPad if there were any sort of a removable keyboard for it – even one which was totally flat and capacitance-operated. Typing on the screen is just not something I am crazy about, and I know others that won’t give the Apple device a chance because of that.
As a matter of fact, some of those responding to the survey on one of those sites stated that the iPad was not something that they could bear to use for any sort of heavy computing, and that a netbook was better. Those enthralled with the iPad were usually the ones that only did e-mail and web surfing on them, with the occasional use as an e-reader.
Not surprisingly, many said they liked them because of the ability to play games on them – not something I would have guessed, but then, I am not much of a game player on the computer either. I suspect that these people might also like the fact that applications that they do use are easily downloaded, and there is no keeping track of discs or serial numbers.
One of the most interesting uses for the iPad was someone that replied that it made a great remote control for his home theater system. Kind of expensive, and I would probably spend the extra money on CDs, but that is just me, and after all, the size of the iPad would make for an impressive looking remote on the coffee table!
So, there are the converts, but there are also those that find the iPad something they can live without. A favorite response was one where the features of a smartphone had taken the place of an iPad – too bad they had to spend for one to find that out. As smartphones become more capable, I think we will see many more people using them, though I’d say that it will be the younger crowd, not afflicted with presbyopia. Though that is not a problem for me yet, presbyopia seems to be more a divider for usage of these devices than age alone.
The features that are to be upcoming in the newest version of the iPad are not something that I can see changing the minds of any that have already decided they can live without the device, but I do think that many have been waiting for the cameras that surely will be included, and those that have been waiting, will jump on the new model without hesitation.
I know that I’ll probably not buy one for myself, but I just may sneak some time on the one I buy for my daughter. My son will also sneak some time I’m sure, and if there are many FPS games for it, he’ll quickly become a convert.
§
January 18 2011
Can your phone record 1080p video? The LG Optimus 2X can
The smartphone revolution never ceases to amaze me. If recording 720p video with almost every smartphone out today wasn’t enough, now you can record 1080p video. And no, it doesn’t look as bad as I expected it to.
When I first heard about this phone and it’s 1080p video capabilities, I didn’t expect it to look like REAL 1080p. I was expecting it to look like it had been upscaled from 480p or 720p, I’m not sure if it is or not but the video from this phone is quite impressive.
The video below is test footage shot on a LG Optimus 2X in 1080p
If this isn’t enough, you can expect to see phones with dual-core processors, dedicated graphics chips and much more in 2011. It’s going to be quite a year for smartphones.
More About Dylan
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January 17 2011
Verizon Drops “New Every Two” Program, Will a Revolt Counter iPhone Influx?
As someone that has had a Verizon phone of one sort or another since 1998, and someone that has sold the Verizon line against all the other providers, I think I have a decent understanding of how the company works in many ways.
I’ll have to admit, however, that this has me stumped, as the company has been lowering the amount of the discount gotten with New Every Two, and so dropping it completely only saves the company small amounts of money compared to the ire it will bring from long time customers.
I can remember selling Verizon phones before the New Every Two initiative came into being. It was aimed at keeping churn down, as many people were completely incensed that new customers could get better deals on phones than they could – seeing the higher price upon upgrade as a betrayal – and, in effect, it was.
I remember causing churn myself, as it was better to keep the customer by causing churn than standing on the company line and seeing the customer walk to another vendor, simply because of a few dollars. Sometimes it was more than just a few, but always it was because of that betrayal. One example was taking a husband and wife that were ending a two year contract under the husband’s name and letting that contract end, then selling the couple two new phones, under the wife’s name, and beginning a new account.
The only downside at that time was that people could not keep their phone numbers, as it was before that ruling in 2003 that allowed numbers to be portable.
Lots of people did this, as sometimes, depending on the new phones chosen, a couple of hundred dollars were involved.
Now the difference is not as great we are told, and from what I’ve seen, it is true, but the problem will remain for many that it will “stick in the craw” to be paying more for a new set of phones and a contract than someone that sails over from being dissatisfied with AT&T or Sprint.
The stories being told in several places are stating that all of this is because of the coming of iPhone to Verizon, but that is a very lame excuse, since there are other smart phones which are also expensive, and until now there has been New Every Two for everyone.
I do wonder how many current customers will eventually rebel – I say eventually because we are told that the current customers will receive one more round of New Every Two discounts, then its all over. For new customers, it was over at the end of business today. Those who signed up today will get in on one round of New Every Two, and that will be it for them.
PC World also had this to say -
That means that Big Red customers could use their $30 to $50 discount on an iPhone 4 in February or any other device in the future.
Verizon has altered the promo rates of the program in the past, likely due to the arrival of highly-discounted smartphones. A FAQ on its website says customers who subscribed before February 15, 2009 got a $50 to $100 discount.
It’s no secret that carriers take a hit when selling smartphones, but recoup the costs with monthly service. Verizon is probably backing off the plan to prevent losses from people upgrading early. It will also ensure the CDMA iPhone is sold for the same price as the rival AT&T version — $199.99 for the 16GB flavor and $299.99 for the 32GB.
The problem, from where I stand, is that some more transparency is going to be needed before the current crop of customers will be satisfied. As one of that group, I feel that the cost of smart phones is being reported on the high side, perhaps quoting single unit pricing, when in fact Verizon buys in the millions of units. I know this was the case when I was in the inner circle, and I see it as being no different today.
We must also remember that there are more and more smart phones being offered, and fewer and fewer “feature” phones. The push is strong for every customer to get a smart phone, which mans higher bills, and more profit, because with each smart phone is a data plan tethered to it.
Ivan Seidenberg is a greedy guy. I’ve seen the man on Charlie Rose and it is clear that he believes that we aren’t paying enough for wireless service, and that he wants every person that can hold one to have a Verizon cell phone…a smart phone…with a data plan. He also wants to end any sort of unlimited plans, because there’s not enough profit in it.
Now I know it is the job of every CEO to maximize profits – so all you budding economists need not drop a comment about that – but I also know that there is a point at which the customer stands and says, “No more”.
That point has not been reached just yet, but each small push on the average customer will push long time customers into changing providers (T-Mobile and Sprint are improving their networks!) and cause those who must stay to drop their plans to the lowest which meets their minimum needs. It will cause the customers considering Verizon to more seriously evaluate whether they need the extra coverage that the Verizon network provides.
Though not mentioned in the article quoted from, another article stated the opinion that Verizon will not be easily swayed into a retreat of price increases, as T-Mobile recently was – and that opinion is probably correct. Verizon, both Seidenberg and the rest of the corporate structure are stubborn, and it would take a mass exodus for them to begin to take notice.
By making the special upgrade pricing continue to work one more time for many, they avoid that mass exit, and can perhaps work some other discounts or added benefits in to take the place of the New Every Two discount.
Perhaps some will acquiesce to the changes, but I’m certain that many long time customers, having been through several iterations of New Every Two upgrades, will become less than happy when they get to the point where it has disappeared, or morphed into something less than the discount that was promised as part of the reward for being a loyal Verizon customer, all those years ago.
§
Verizon Drops “New Every Two” Program, Will a Revolt Counter iPhone Influx?
As someone that has had a Verizon phone of one sort or another since 1998, and someone that has sold the Verizon line against all the other providers, I think I have a decent understanding of how the company works in many ways.
I’ll have to admit, however, that this has me stumped, as the company has been lowering the amount of the discount gotten with New Every Two, and so dropping it completely only saves the company small amounts of money compared to the ire it will bring from long time customers.
I can remember selling Verizon phones before the New Every Two initiative came into being. It was aimed at keeping churn down, as many people were completely incensed that new customers could get better deals on phones than they could – seeing the higher price upon upgrade as a betrayal – and, in effect, it was.
I remember causing churn myself, as it was better to keep the customer by causing churn than standing on the company line and seeing the customer walk to another vendor, simply because of a few dollars. Sometimes it was more than just a few, but always it was because of that betrayal. One example was taking a husband and wife that were ending a two year contract under the husband’s name and letting that contract end, then selling the couple two new phones, under the wife’s name, and beginning a new account.
The only downside at that time was that people could not keep their phone numbers, as it was before that ruling in 2003 that allowed numbers to be portable.
Lots of people did this, as sometimes, depending on the new phones chosen, a couple of hundred dollars were involved.
Now the difference is not as great we are told, and from what I’ve seen, it is true, but the problem will remain for many that it will “stick in the craw” to be paying more for a new set of phones and a contract than someone that sails over from being dissatisfied with AT&T or Sprint.
The stories being told in several places are stating that all of this is because of the coming of iPhone to Verizon, but that is a very lame excuse, since there are other smart phones which are also expensive, and until now there has been New Every Two for everyone.
I do wonder how many current customers will eventually rebel – I say eventually because we are told that the current customers will receive one more round of New Every Two discounts, then its all over. For new customers, it was over at the end of business today. Those who signed up today will get in on one round of New Every Two, and that will be it for them.
PC World also had this to say -
That means that Big Red customers could use their $30 to $50 discount on an iPhone 4 in February or any other device in the future.
Verizon has altered the promo rates of the program in the past, likely due to the arrival of highly-discounted smartphones. A FAQ on its website says customers who subscribed before February 15, 2009 got a $50 to $100 discount.
It’s no secret that carriers take a hit when selling smartphones, but recoup the costs with monthly service. Verizon is probably backing off the plan to prevent losses from people upgrading early. It will also ensure the CDMA iPhone is sold for the same price as the rival AT&T version — $199.99 for the 16GB flavor and $299.99 for the 32GB.
The problem, from where I stand, is that some more transparency is going to be needed before the current crop of customers will be satisfied. As one of that group, I feel that the cost of smart phones is being reported on the high side, perhaps quoting single unit pricing, when in fact Verizon buys in the millions of units. I know this was the case when I was in the inner circle, and I see it as being no different today.
We must also remember that there are more and more smart phones being offered, and fewer and fewer “feature” phones. The push is strong for every customer to get a smart phone, which mans higher bills, and more profit, because with each smart phone is a data plan tethered to it.
Ivan Seidenberg is a greedy guy. I’ve seen the man on Charlie Rose and it is clear that he believes that we aren’t paying enough for wireless service, and that he wants every person that can hold one to have a Verizon cell phone…a smart phone…with a data plan. He also wants to end any sort of unlimited plans, because there’s not enough profit in it.
Now I know it is the job of every CEO to maximize profits – so all you budding economists need not drop a comment about that – but I also know that there is a point at which the customer stands and says, “No more”.
That point has not been reached just yet, but each small push on the average customer will push long time customers into changing providers (T-Mobile and Sprint are improving their networks!) and cause those who must stay to drop their plans to the lowest which meets their minimum needs. It will cause the customers considering Verizon to more seriously evaluate whether they need the extra coverage that the Verizon network provides.
Though not mentioned in the article quoted from, another article stated the opinion that Verizon will not be easily swayed into a retreat of price increases, as T-Mobile recently was – and that opinion is probably correct. Verizon, both Seidenberg and the rest of the corporate structure are stubborn, and it would take a mass exodus for them to begin to take notice.
By making the special upgrade pricing continue to work one more time for many, they avoid that mass exit, and can perhaps work some other discounts or added benefits in, to take the place of the New Every Two discount.
Perhaps some will acquiesce to the changes, but I’m certain that many long time customers, having been through several iterations of New Every Two upgrades, will become less than happy when they get to the point where it has disappeared, or morphed into something less than the discount that was promised as part of the reward for being a loyal Verizon customer, all those years ago.
§
January 14 2011
Now Running Sapphire Android ROM
My Motorola Droid is getting old. I’ve owned it for almost 14 months now, and it doesn’t run quite as well as it used to. In an effort to make the device work a bit better, I rooted my Droid so that I could run CyanogenMod. Things ran very well at first. Then they released version 6.0 of CyanogenMod and things went downhill from there. My Droid became slow and would lock up regularly. I’d also have to charge the phone almost every 12 hours even if I didn’t use it. Perhaps my older Droid was too old to run this powerful ROM.
I told a friend who was an Android aficionado about my problems and he told me that the Sapphire ROM may be something I’d want to check out. I did, and let me tell you, I couldn’t be happier. After loading Sapphire’s low voltage, Froyo based ROM, things have greatly improved. I’ve gone several days without needing a charge, the phone is fast and there have been no technical issues. My old Droid has been given new life! I had been thinking about replacing it with a Droid X, but now I may keep this phone another 14 months.
If you’re like me and have rooted your device, give Sapphire a try and be sure to let me know what you think in the comments section.
January 09 2011
3 Things You Can Do To Make Your Android Device Faster
After owning my Motorola Droid for over a year, I found the device has gotten quite slow. It would boot slow, and whenever I tried to play games, it would be a choppy mess. I did three things that dramatically improved the speed of my device though. Here are is what I did and how you can do it too.
Disable running services
Start your Android device up and see what is running in the background by default under Settings > Applications > Running services. If you spot something you don’t regularly use, you may want to remove it. I found that StumbleUpon was running regardless of whether I had used it or not. There are also apps you can find in the Android Market that will automatically disable apps from running in the background at startup.
Don’t overdo the widgets
If you have widgets on your Home screen, most of them are constantly trying to get information from the internet. This can slow things down tremendously. Try to limit the widgets you use. Remove widgets by tapping and holding them ofr a couple of seconds, then drag them to the trash.
Root it!
If you root your Android device, it opens it up for some useful modification. I use the Sapphire ROM on my Droid and it’s much faster than the stock Android provided by Verizon. I can also use apps like SetCPU to overclock the device and make it faster.
After doing these 3 things, my Droid is like new. I think I can make t another year using this thing.
December 29 2010
Android “Gemini” Trojan Found
Be careful where you download that copy of Angry Birds from. A new trojan labeled “Gemini” has been found and is making its rounds around the interwebs. Gemini appears to be an attempt to create an Android botnet where legitimate and popular apps are grafted with the trojan and made available on independent Android app sites like widifu.com, udaore.com, frijd.com, islpast.com and piajesj.com. It’s reported that the trojan can send device manufacturer IDs, transmit location data and download unwanted apps.
Apps infected with this trojan are mainly distributed via Chinese websites, but beware, as anybody could unknowingly post an infected APK file on a trusted forum. Personally I never trust an APK file. I’ll stick to getting my apps from the Android Market thank you.
See also: Phandroid – New Android Trojan Found
December 22 2010
Nexus One Getting Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) Update Soon
The Google Nexus team posted a message on Twitter notifying Nexus One owners not to worry about waiting a long time for the Android 2.3 Gingerbread update, saying:
The Gingerbread OTA for Nexus One will happen in the coming weeks. Just hang tight! (link)
This is a major Android update that’s chock full of improvements. With Gingerbread comes better file and task management, a new keyboard, improved cut and paste, faster performance and improved battery life.
It’s kind of nice to see Google still updating the Nexus One, since they gave up on selling the device months ago. Most companies would drop all support for a discontinued phone by now.
Maybe Soup is currently being updated? I'll try again automatically in a few seconds...
