Database Info

Could I be happy if I switched from Android?

So let me preface by saying Ive gone from iPhone to Android and have been watching WP since launch and plan on it being my next OS after I can get a hold of an off contract Verizon phone relatively cheaply or when my upgrade is up. I love how fluid it seems with its native apps and I want to get away from my buggy and laggy/stuttering Droid X (Which is the same for everyone I know with one).
But there's some things that you really don't take into account when you don't actually use the device everyday, so I figured Id ask here and see how WP stacks up.
What I am looking for info on:
-I use Android's file system to store non-market/root APK's to reinstall apps after wiping/updating the phone and such. I would like to unlock my WP for things like screenshot utilities; how does that whole scene work in a quick summary? I know about Chevron, but how are these apps distributed, updated etc.?
-How are non-native apps with scrolling smoothness these days in Mango? I cant stand the lag and stuttering in Android.
-Can you download from IE to the file system with homebrew? How about natively?
-How does Skydrive work for installers/loading installers, PDF's and other non-Office files? Can you browse it like a filesystem, as I currently use it as a Network Drive on my PC anyways.
-Does the universal volume setup become an issue? I use my phone as my PMP with headphones all the time, then I need it to be on vibrate for class and in general, also alarms randomly, and occasionally I play games with the media on. Will I be missing alarms or leaving the ringer on in class if I don't pay close attention or is it mainly just when going headphones to media? I dont quite understand how it works specifically.
-Quick ways to toggle WiFi and screen brightness with homebrew?
-Back up options for app settings and things if a wipe happens?
-Do you find yourself ever getting annoyed with the animations or the app list for less used apps that still get accessed once in a while?
-How bad is board reader for browsing forums or the free reddit apps? They dont have great ratings.
-Am I going to be panning a lot in IE without text reflow? I usually browse/do everything in portrait and dont like landscape much FYI.
Anything you really miss about Android or iOS?

I only know of TouchXplorer for HTC for file management but im sure there are others for the other brands. Not sure how you would go about storing files for re installation. Dont think anyone has figured out how to invoke the xap installer from files on the phone. Most of these apps are found here on XDA
Most apps are pretty smooth. Depends on the dev. Id say they are all smoother than android though.
Dont think you can download to the file system from IE
You can access Skydrive from the office hub. You can open media files and pdfs etc. Once again not sure about install files.
I havent had a problem with the volume. I use my phone for media and games. I just put it on vibrate when i need to which is easy to do on the lock screen.
Cant toggle from the homescreen yet, there are apps that are shortcuts to the setting though
There is a homebrew backup program here on XDA somewhere
I dont get annoyed by the animations. They make for a nice experience
The XDA app is a version of board express i believe and its not too bad. I Haven't tried any of the Reddit apps
There is a bit of panning. I find its just easier to find a good zoom level that you can read it on
Hope i helped

Mike415 said:
What I am looking for info on:
-I use Android's file system to store non-market/root APK's to reinstall apps after wiping/updating the phone and such. I would like to unlock my WP for things like screenshot utilities; how does that whole scene work in a quick summary? I know about Chevron, but how are these apps distributed, updated etc.?
I've never used TouchXplorer, so I don't even know if it is compatible with Mango, but if it is it would be the only file explorer option I know of. WP is not designed as an open system, so file explorers are not officially supported.
-How are non-native apps with scrolling smoothness these days in Mango? I cant stand the lag and stuttering in Android.
I have around 175 third party apps installed on my phone, and at least half of them exhibit enough lag/stutter that it is noticeable, and some are quite annoying, even some of the major apps (such as Accuweather.com and USA Today). Generally, it seems that if an app is fetching data from the internet while it is also rendering to the display, you will probably notice some lag/stutter. I've never owned an Android, but from the videos I've seen on YouTube and also from what I've observed watching my son use his Samsung Captivate, the lag (at least in third party apps) is comparable.
-Can you download from IE to the file system with homebrew? How about natively?
All apps are sandboxed on WP, so downloading to "the filesystem" is not supported.
-How does Skydrive work for installers/loading installers, PDF's and other non-Office files? Can you browse it like a filesystem, as I currently use it as a Network Drive on my PC anyways.
Again, I don't know about homebrew, but generally speaking SkyDrive only supports photos and Office documents from your phone.
-Does the universal volume setup become an issue? I use my phone as my PMP with headphones all the time, then I need it to be on vibrate for class and in general, also alarms randomly, and occasionally I play games with the media on. Will I be missing alarms or leaving the ringer on in class if I don't pay close attention or is it mainly just when going headphones to media? I dont quite understand how it works specifically.
This one is a bit tricky. As far as missing alarms due to turning the ringer on or off, that is probably not likely. Turning vibrate-only mode on or off is remarkably simple on WP. Just wake up the phone, press either volume control, and then tap the ringer icon to toggle it on or off.
However, that is the good news. The bad news is that the universal volume means that having the volume high enough to be able to hear the phone ring from your pocket also means that any app, game or media will also blast out of the phone at annoyingly loud levels. And conversely, if you turn the volume down far enough to play a game or listen to music at a comfortable level, but forget to turn it back up when you are done, you will miss calls, guaranteed. It has happened to me more times than I care to count.
-Quick ways to toggle WiFi and screen brightness with homebrew?
Quick setting toggles are not supported. You can, however, get a reasonably adequate shortcuts to the four main toggles (WiFI, 3G, Airplane mode, and Bluetooth) on your start screen. The unfortunate annoyance is that, depending on how you lay out your start screen, you may have a few button presses/scroll swipes necessary to complete the toggle of a setting). As for brightness, there is no toggle support for that.
-Back up options for app settings and things if a wipe happens?
There is no support for backup of app settings, game saves or SMS messages, period. None at all. You can (using a homebrew app) perform a complete device backup, but it cannot be transferred to another device.
-Do you find yourself ever getting annoyed with the animations or the app list for less used apps that still get accessed once in a while?
Do the animations annoy me? Yes. Contrary to the apparently popular opinion here, I find much of the animation on the start screen to be gimmicky (the people hub, game hub, and "me" hub icons especially so). And many third party apps flip their icons for no reason at all, just for the sake of flipping it. For example Flixster flips the tile between a static photo of a currently-playing movie on one side (with the program icon in the corner), and the program icon filling the tile on the other side. It serves no purpose.
With that said, SOME of the app tiles are VERY useful, such as most weather apps, which usually flip between current conditions and forecast conditions. Being a weather junky, I love that feature.
Regarding the app list, it is more than just an annoyance, it is a major frustration for me, every single day. With no app grouping capabilities at all (I wouldn't care HOW it was implemented, I just want SOMETHING implemented), finding apps in a long list can be a real chore. I don't like it at all. If you only ever plan to have 20 or 30 apps, it might be OK. But if you need more than that, the number of taps and flicks and swipes needed to find and launch an app can be time-consuming.
-How bad is board reader for browsing forums or the free reddit apps? They dont have great ratings.
I've only used the trial version of Board Express, and didn't like it at all. Most of the reports from people here are that it is painfully bad to use.
-Am I going to be panning a lot in IE without text reflow? I usually browse/do everything in portrait and dont like landscape much FYI.
That depends entirely on the layout of the web sites you visit. On some sites, the tap-to-zoom works very well, and makes the text fill the screen (without reflow, of course) at a nominally readable size. But on other sites, it just doesn't help at all, and I end up panning quite a bit.
Anything you really miss about Android or iOS?
I've never owned either, so I can't say. However, unless things change I will most likely be moving to an iPhone within a couple of months. WP has a LOT going for it, but unfortunately (for me) it still has too many gaps in its features, and some of them are too annoying to just live with them and wait patiently on Microsoft.
I hope the features that I need do get added in future updates, because I'd be happy to switch back. But after reading the snarky attitude of many of the fans here, I can't help but wonder if that same attitude isn't prevalent at Microsoft, which would kind of imply that those features won't be coming any time soon.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My answers are in blue.

To be honest, from your questions, I would say you would be better off staying with android, don't get me wrong, i love wp7 and it does everthing i need it to do, but you may find some of the stuff you want is not available and get frustrated.

I just switched and am very happy! After two years on android, wp7 feels so smooth and coherent

IMHO, go to a store or carrier centre and request a WP7 and play with it, as from what I believe, everyone has their own preferences.

My advise would be to stay away if you're a tweaker, which is sounds like you are.

pillsburydoughman said:
My advise would be to stay away if you're a tweaker, which is sounds like you are.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was though, but sometimes you get sick of constantly flashing roms, chaning things around, and want something that just works.
I'm happy that now it seems as if I have much more time since I'm not constantly fiddling with my phone 24/7.
I guess that is dependent on the person themselves though

What I am looking for info on:
-I use Android's file system to store non-market/root APK's to reinstall apps after wiping/updating the phone and such. I would like to unlock my WP for things like screenshot utilities; how does that whole scene work in a quick summary? I know about Chevron, but how are these apps distributed, updated etc.?
*No, you will be stuck at your pc for deploying XAPs. However Dotcomp says there is a way to deploy XAPs from IE.
MS security is a complete joke, you can just download the XAPs from MS.
-How are non-native apps with scrolling smoothness these days in Mango? I cant stand the lag and stuttering in Android.
* Well get used to it, its the exact same on WP7. However there aren't many apps with long scroll list, most take advantage of Metro.
-Can you download from IE to the file system with homebrew? How about natively?
*NO, and no
-How does Skydrive work for installers/loading installers, PDF's and other non-Office files? Can you browse it like a filesystem, as I currently use it as a Network Drive on my PC anyways.
*Skydrive was a afterthought on this OS, my opinion. Works great for Office documents, OneNote, and pics. That's it.
-Does the universal volume setup become an issue? I use my phone as my PMP with headphones all the time, then I need it to be on vibrate for class and in general, also alarms randomly, and occasionally I play games with the media on. Will I be missing alarms or leaving the ringer on in class if I don't pay close attention or is it mainly just when going headphones to media? I dont quite understand how it works specifically.
* Depends on you. I'm used to multiple volume settings, so its a pain to me.
-Quick ways to toggle WiFi and screen brightness with homebrew?
* If you can call a wifi icon on homesreen quick, then yes, other than that NO.
-Back up options for app settings and things if a wipe happens?
*If on the go, NO. If at your PC, http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=19341502#post19341502
-Do you find yourself ever getting annoyed with the animations or the app list for less used apps that still get accessed once in a while?
* Actually the animations are what make this phone. They're pretty quick and elegant. I like the live tiles, but they ruin the glance and go concept, because I have to wait on it to flip.
The app list is horrid.
-How bad is board reader for browsing forums or the free reddit apps? They dont have great ratings.
*Board Express made by Tapatalk, is nothing like Tapatalk on Android or IOS. It is like a sick joke. The browser is faster on WP.
-Am I going to be panning a lot in IE without text reflow? I usually browse/do everything in portrait and dont like landscape much FYI.
* Double tap usually makes the text readable, but if the site has text and pictures you want to see, you're SOL.
Also if you like to read comments, or deal with a HTML5 website, you will find yourself having to load the full website a lot. I can't even get the smartphone version of mobile sites, IE9 doesn't render some correctly.
Anything you really miss about Android or iOS?
YES! GOOGLE APPS! GAMES!
Youtube on Android is the greatest, Lazytube comes close but you have to pay for it.
Im used to sitting on my couch and flinging websites and videos from my phone to the TV(google tv), impossible on WP7.
Custom SMS, ringtones, and email notifications. You can do custom ringtones but its a hassle.
I can say I like the Email on WP7, however its not instant like on IOS or Android.
Oh, there is no auto update option. If there is a app that needs updating you have to open the market and tell it to update.
---
All of that being sad, you could still be Happy using WP7. It just totally depends on what you use your phone for.
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my lady took over the vibrant, lol.
-------------
Another thing, some people say they get tired of flashing custom roms on Android. The exact same OPTION is avaliable on WP7. You don't HAVE to flash either.

there are no custom roms for my phone...
I was continually trying to get my phone smoother, and smoother on android.
I just don't feel the need to with this. Once again, just my own two cents. I never said that it would be the same for everyone

Thanks for the replies so far. It helped me get a better feeling for WP and it seems like I should really just wait for all the new OS updates like Ice Cream and iOS 5.x+/iPhone 5 before diving into WP. I am a slight tweaker of Android, but I don't actually want to do that very much anymore. I just want a phone that works and suits my needs. Android suits my needs, but doesn't really work great and it annoys me.
WP seems like it would be okay for me. Im not an app whore anymore since Ive been a smartphone user for several years now and I pretty much just like to be able to get the news, read some forums, text a lot, use yelp to find places to eat, and occasionally pass some time on leisure games. Android is pretty weak as far as finding decent games IMO and I think WP could actually be better in that regard (iPhone is the only one I would consider good for leisure games, but if Ive gotten by on Android this long I think WP could be okay, especially since I still would have an iPhone and Droid for those games). Right now, using Launcher 7 on Android I only use 2.5 screens of tiles so Im not going to have too much of an issue with the app list I think (Homebrew folders support will do me fine in that regard as I can toss all the leisure games in there also).
What I am still unclear on is viewing PDFs that are hosted on websites because its a situation that I run into frequently enough that I need it to be able to view PDFs from sites or Skydrive (Either one). Can I navigate with IE to a site with a link to a hosted PDF and view it or not?
Can I leave my phone on vibrate (no ring) and still play headphones without turning the ring back on in doing so? This would be a huge issue if not because I can't be having my phone go off in class all the time. I rarely take my phone off vibrate, so I want to make sure I can leave silent/vibrate on and still play Zune without turning the ringer back on.
Does vibrate mean that alarms only vibrate and dont sound? ie. do I need to take my phone off silent ringer/vibrate all night if I want to hear an alarm in the morning?
--
I like how well Microsoft has seemingly written WP and I think eventually it will be great after Win8 and WP8. Maybe I just need to hold off for those phones and not waste money getting an off contract phone. If Win8+WP8+XBOX+Live services doesnt bring very tight integration and some nice new features, I think I'll lose all the faith Ive put into Microsoft the past 15 years.

Mike415 said:
Can I leave my phone on vibrate (no ring) and still play headphones without turning the ring back on in doing so? This would be a huge issue if not because I can't be having my phone go off in class all the time. I rarely take my phone off vibrate, so I want to make sure I can leave silent/vibrate on and still play Zune without turning the ringer back on.
Does vibrate mean that alarms only vibrate and dont sound? ie. do I need to take my phone off silent ringer/vibrate all night if I want to hear an alarm in the morning?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With Mango both of these issues are addressed. You can put your ringer on vibrate and still listen to music, and even adjust the volume without affecting the "vibrate only" setting. However, when you turn the ringer back on, it will be on at the current volume setting, not what it was before.
Also, you can have the ringer on vibrate and still hear alarms. In fact, alarms are now treated as "special" by the OS, and they ignore both the volume and ringer (vibrate) settings. They start low, and get progressively louder until dismissed.
Mike415 said:
I like how well Microsoft has seemingly written WP and I think eventually it will be great after Win8 and WP8. Maybe I just need to hold off for those phones and not waste money getting an off contract phone. If Win8+WP8+XBOX+Live services doesnt bring very tight integration and some nice new features, I think I'll lose all the faith Ive put into Microsoft the past 15 years.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
WP will eventually be fantastic, and the ecosystem will mature. But I have to be honest and say that for me it isn't there yet, and it is unclear how long it will take to get there. If your only option right now is to go off contract to get a WP device, I would have to suggest that you wait at least until Apollo is released (which, by all credible accounts will be Q4 of next year).
My reason for saying this is because each time Microsoft does fix a problem, they do an admirable job. But they need to (IMO) be more aggressive with their release schedule. Following the "one small release mid year and one major release annually" model isn't enough. There should be smaller patch releases to address issues, rather than making people suffer with them for 6+ months.

Mike415 said:
Thanks for the replies so far. It helped me get a better feeling for WP and it seems like I should really just wait for all the new OS updates like Ice Cream and iOS 5.x+/iPhone 5 before diving into WP. I am a slight tweaker of Android, but I don't actually want to do that very much anymore. I just want a phone that works and suits my needs. Android suits my needs, but doesn't really work great and it annoys me.
WP seems like it would be okay for me. Im not an app whore anymore since Ive been a smartphone user for several years now and I pretty much just like to be able to get the news, read some forums, text a lot, use yelp to find places to eat, and occasionally pass some time on leisure games. Android is pretty weak as far as finding decent games IMO and I think WP could actually be better in that regard (iPhone is the only one I would consider good for leisure games, but if Ive gotten by on Android this long I think WP could be okay, especially since I still would have an iPhone and Droid for those games). Right now, using Launcher 7 on Android I only use 2.5 screens of tiles so Im not going to have too much of an issue with the app list I think (Homebrew folders support will do me fine in that regard as I can toss all the leisure games in there also).
What I am still unclear on is viewing PDFs that are hosted on websites because its a situation that I run into frequently enough that I need it to be able to view PDFs from sites or Skydrive (Either one). Can I navigate with IE to a site with a link to a hosted PDF and view it or not?
Can I leave my phone on vibrate (no ring) and still play headphones without turning the ring back on in doing so? This would be a huge issue if not because I can't be having my phone go off in class all the time. I rarely take my phone off vibrate, so I want to make sure I can leave silent/vibrate on and still play Zune without turning the ringer back on.
Does vibrate mean that alarms only vibrate and dont sound? ie. do I need to take my phone off silent ringer/vibrate all night if I want to hear an alarm in the morning?
--
I like how well Microsoft has seemingly written WP and I think eventually it will be great after Win8 and WP8. Maybe I just need to hold off for those phones and not waste money getting an off contract phone. If Win8+WP8+XBOX+Live services doesnt bring very tight integration and some nice new features, I think I'll lose all the faith Ive put into Microsoft the past 15 years.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi Mike,
Like you I mapped Skydrive as a network drive and simply drag/drop my pdf files there. PDFs are natively supported on wp7 once you download the official adobe pdf app.
The PDFs will show up on skydrive in the Office Hub. Infact if you use the Documents folder as the "root" of all your files and simple create folders within there, they will all show up in the office hub's skydrive folder. As you see I have a "PDF" folder with all my pdfs. You download them when you select it and it is saved to adobe's app storage locally on the phone.
Skydrive on the phone will also stream audio and video files! Sometimes my friends would share a video or some music with me and I'd be able to access it natively!
You can view any pdf or office document (provided it is in later version format i thnk office 2007 up) hosted on websites. It will download and open in adobe/office.
Also OneNote is absoulely terrific in the Office hub for syncing notes to the PC/web and phone. I use it extensively to manage my classes!
Hope this helped.

Mike415 said:
What I am still unclear on is viewing PDFs that are hosted on websites because its a situation that I run into frequently enough that I need it to be able to view PDFs from sites or Skydrive (Either one). Can I navigate with IE to a site with a link to a hosted PDF and view it or not?
Can I leave my phone on vibrate (no ring) and still play headphones without turning the ring back on in doing so? This would be a huge issue if not because I can't be having my phone go off in class all the time. I rarely take my phone off vibrate, so I want to make sure I can leave silent/vibrate on and still play Zune without turning the ringer back on.
Does vibrate mean that alarms only vibrate and dont sound? ie. do I need to take my phone off silent ringer/vibrate all night if I want to hear an alarm in the morning?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
PDF's are just working fine. Just install Adobe's PDF app and IE will automatically hook them and forward them to the app. Same on SkyDrive, you can even zip those PDF's as WP is able to look into zips.
As for the sound it should work the way you described. Volume control is for everything on the device but the button for vibration is only for the ringer. So if you mute your device via volume rocker then everything will be muted. If you only press the vibrate button then only the ringer will be silenced.

Awesome, guys. Great replies. The volume issues and PDF issues seem like they would be fine for situations like mine. Loved the screenshots!
Really I dont see too many issues not to switch over eventually, as the replies here have quelled my main doubts. As more apps come and current apps are optimized theres very little reason to not switch for most people. Its just that damn app list!
Good thing there's homebrew folders now though!

Mike415 said:
Awesome, guys. Great replies. The volume issues and PDF issues seem like they would be fine for situations like mine. Loved the screenshots!
Really I dont see too many issues not to switch over eventually, as the replies here have quelled my main doubts. As more apps come and current apps are optimized theres very little reason to not switch for most people. Its just that damn app list!
Good thing there's homebrew folders now though!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thankfully the games go into your xbox live folder though...
also you can tap a letter to quickly bring up all letters where you can quickscroll from letter to letter to find apps you have.

scoobysnacks said:
thankfully the games go into your xbox live folder though...
also you can tap a letter to quickly bring up all letters where you can quickscroll from letter to letter to find apps you have.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
and search too. I actually prefer the app list to iOS pages of icons. The applist I know exactly where to find it alphabectically using the jumplist. Need twitter? Tap a letter jump to T and its in that group. iOS its a "which page is it?' scenario.
The homebrew folders is also pretty nice. I use it for all my "News" apps and "Social" app but it doesnt have live tiles so it defeats the wp7 purpose of glance and go

scoobysnacks said:
thankfully the games go into your xbox live folder though...
also you can tap a letter to quickly bring up all letters where you can quickscroll from letter to letter to find apps you have.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
sayonical said:
and search too. I actually prefer the app list to iOS pages of icons. The applist I know exactly where to find it alphabectically using the jumplist. Need twitter? Tap a letter jump to T and its in that group. iOS its a "which page is it?' scenario.
The homebrew folders is also pretty nice. I use it for all my "News" apps and "Social" app but it doesnt have live tiles so it defeats the wp7 purpose of glance and go
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was just planning on throwing all my leisure games (non-XBOX LIVE) in folders. Does the XBOX Live hub hold non-Live games too? I wouldn't really need folders if all my games were in the XBOX hub, but I was thinking that it was only for Live games.

Mike415 said:
I was just planning on throwing all my leisure games (non-XBOX LIVE) in folders. Does the XBOX Live hub hold non-Live games too? I wouldn't really need folders if all my games were in the XBOX hub, but I was thinking that it was only for Live games.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the live hub holds all games!
It's a good thing too, I have a ton of games

scoobysnacks said:
the live hub holds all games!
It's a good thing too, I have a ton of games
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The only drawback of the xbox live hub is that is missing the jump list. I'd really love to see it in there too.
On topic:
I'd really recommend you go into a mobile shop and try different devices. I for one came from Window Mobile 6.1 over 6.5 and Android (2.1 and 2.2) all the way to Windows Phone. First I was missing several things I know from my former mobile OSes. But once I got used to the limitations (which were a lot more before NoDo and Mango), I've never ever looked back. I'm a proud WP7 user. But it really depends on what you use your device for.

[APP][2.2+] Podcast Addict

Podcast Addict
Version 1.9
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"lightbox_download": "Download",
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​
I just want to introduce you to my Podcast app available on the Google Play.
This is my 1st Android app and it's still incomplete but almost all of the basic features have been implemented.
If you watch or listen to French podcasts, you will find some of the best independant podcats embedded by default in the app.
If you do not, don't run away yet, because you can still use this app to manage all your podcasts.
Here are the main features:
• podcasts subscription
• podcasts search engine (thousands of podcasts available in different languages)
• OPML import file (iTunes, Google Reader, ...)
• new episodes notification
• automatic download
• streaming
• audio player with resume feature
• playlist support
• OPML export
• widget
• comments download feature
• episode & podcast sharing
• episode filters & search engine
• automatic episode deletion feature
• ...
Upcoming features:
• New UI optimized for tablets
• Podcast recommendation feature
• Download manager
• Internal video player
So feel free to test the app, and please, tell me what you think about it.
I know, some important features are missing, but they will soon be available

Headset controls now work on ICS and JB (since v1.8.8)

What do you do when you listen to your podcast? What do you want to do most of the times when you are going back to the app?
Every. Single. Podcast. Player. Does the same ****ing thing wrong.
Go figure it out.

el_bhm said:
What do you do when you listen to your podcast? What do you want to do most of the times when you are going back to the app?
Every. Single. Podcast. Player. Does the same ****ing thing wrong.
Go figure it out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What do you mean ?

bambou51 said:
What do you mean ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yip, bump that. Constructive helpful feedback will assist the dev to make this a better app, me thinks? Instead of cryptic comments...

Just released Podcast Addict v1.9.
Main new feature is the Playlist support.

A little bit more Holo design would be much more better. The glossy style of the bar on the top is not android like.
Also please disable the emulated menu button. The menu button must be in the Actionbar.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app

WingnutStrikesBack said:
A little bit more Holo design would be much more better. The glossy style of the bar on the top is not android like.
Also please disable the emulated menu button. The menu button must be in the Actionbar.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Now that I'm almost having every basic feature implemented I will rethink the whole UI for the v2.0

Fantastic Podcast app! I hadn't looked for a good podcast app in a while, and I first went through and read a few sites that listed the "top 10 android podcast apps". I downloaded the top 4-5 and played with them. Eventually I realized they each have something that annoyed me too much. Usually, they were either too simple in attempts to have a clean/simple UI, or they were so complicated that it made navigation not enjoyable. I tried one out that had 4 tabbed screens of settings...
Eventually I found this one. This is the only one that I kept. I love the simple and straight forward UI and fantastic feature set. Perfect balance and no bloat. All the core features are there. The settings are simple and just make sense. The app is mostly intuitive in terms of flow - I would add a button for the subscription (using a Nexus S and having to go to options to view it was not intuitive at first). Another change, as some people have mentioned on the play store, is putting a back button -- although personally, I didn't even notice until I read the reviewsI only noticed it because a bunch of people complained about it. If you can, on the widget, please add the current time position and the max (end) time position. At last, ask people about the primary language and after that use only that language (ex of this: if you select English, when you search, there's still french under the titles)
Good luck with this app - you have created something fantastic! If you make a donation version count me in!!

ventz said:
Fantastic Podcast app! I hadn't looked for a good podcast app in a while, and I first went through and read a few sites that listed the "top 10 android podcast apps". I downloaded the top 4-5 and played with them. Eventually I realized they each have something that annoyed me too much. Usually, they were either too simple in attempts to have a clean/simple UI, or they were so complicated that it made navigation not enjoyable. I tried one out that had 4 tabbed screens of settings...
Eventually I found this one. This is the only one that I kept. I love the simple and straight forward UI and fantastic feature set. Perfect balance and no bloat. All the core features are there. The settings are simple and just make sense. The app is mostly intuitive in terms of flow - I would add a button for the subscription (using a Nexus S and having to go to options to view it was not intuitive at first). Another change, as some people have mentioned on the play store, is putting a back button -- although personally, I didn't even notice until I read the reviewsI only noticed it because a bunch of people complained about it. If you can, on the widget, please add the current time position and the max (end) time position. At last, ask people about the primary language and after that use only that language (ex of this: if you select English, when you search, there's still french under the titles)
Good luck with this app - you have created something fantastic! If you make a donation version count me in!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks a lot for your comment!
I don't understand what the problem is with the back button. You can use Android back button to go back to the previous screen. You can also press the App icon in the ActionBar to go back to the main screen. If you understand what te problem is, please tell me.
I didn't add any progress bar on the widget to avoid draining the battery, I might add a 2nd widget with a progress bar, in a future release.
As for the french in the search engine, I didn't take the time to clean the podcasts translations in the database, but I will improve the search feature in the upcoming v2.0.

bambou51 said:
Thanks a lot for your comment!
I don't understand what the problem is with the back button. You can use Android back button to go back to the previous screen. You can also press the App icon in the ActionBar to go back to the main screen. If you understand what te problem is, please tell me..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think I understand it now. So the complaint (from what I am gathering from the comments) is that people don't know that hitting that icon takes you home. But that actually makes perfect sense. Some people call that "going back" by the way. Maybe replacing it with a button that says "home" would do it. Or having an "info" screen when you first install the app that tells you it's a "home" button for the app. I don't know -- honestly, this just doesn't seem annoying
That's interesting about the progress on the widget. I didn't realize they burn the battery so much.

ventz said:
I think I understand it now. So the complaint (from what I am gathering from the comments) is that people don't know that hitting that icon takes you home. But that actually makes perfect sense. Some people call that "going back" by the way. Maybe replacing it with a button that says "home" would do it. Or having an "info" screen when you first install the app that tells you it's a "home" button for the app. I don't know -- honestly, this just doesn't seem annoying
That's interesting about the progress on the widget. I didn't realize they burn the battery so much.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm already thinking about adding some kind of tutorial or tips section in the app.
Widget refresh will not drain your battery, but because it will need to refresh the progress status every second, it will still add some CPU charge

Take a look, if you haven't already, at the Spotify app. You have the same clean design, and it's very similar (same player on the bottom that expands when selected). I think the only thing missing is making that top-left corner into something like what Spotify has done, which will present all the screen options (home, search, playlist, all, etc...)
Anyway, either way, good luck with this app. I really like it!

PlayList Sort
Is there a way to sort the playlist? Here is my scenario:
I have a segmented podcast that is downloaded daily... there are 15+ segments that come per day... Ideally, I would want it to automatically download the latest podcasts and automatically add it to the playlist... I would need it to play the next day's podcasts but in the proper order... basically, day 1, segment 1, then segment 2, 3, etc until day 2, segment 1, 2, 3, etc... currently, it has the days correct but the segments are reversed...
Thanks for your help... I really like your app and would love to continue using it...

oldirtdog said:
Is there a way to sort the playlist? Here is my scenario:
I have a segmented podcast that is downloaded daily... there are 15+ segments that come per day... Ideally, I would want it to automatically download the latest podcasts and automatically add it to the playlist... I would need it to play the next day's podcasts but in the proper order... basically, day 1, segment 1, then segment 2, 3, etc until day 2, segment 1, 2, 3, etc... currently, it has the days correct but the segments are reversed...
Thanks for your help... I really like your app and would love to continue using it...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For now you can only reorder your playlist by drag and dropping your episodes. You can enable autodownload & auto queueing. Your episodes will then be added in the right order, but you might have other podcasts' episodes in the middle. In that case you will need to reorder manually your playlist.

Subscription issue
First off, I really like your app -- it is by far my favorite of all the podcast apps I tried. I love the feature set, but I agree with previous comments that the UI could still use some work. I feel like it could be simplified -- currently there are a lot of different screens you can be on, and no easy way to switch between them or even to tell how the screen you're on relates to the other parts of the app. I'm using on a tablet, so a multi-pane view would be ideal for me (though obviously not for phone users).
OK, here's my issue: I'm trying to subscribe to two feeds from the same content producer. But every time I add the second feed, it replaces the first one -- and vice versa. The feeds are from the Skeptics' Guide To The Universe podcast -- they do their main show in one feed, and occasional mini-episodes in another feed. I would link to the xml files, but the forum won't let me. They're easy to find on the Skeptics' Guide website.
Is there some trick I can try to get both feeds to show up? Currently my subscriptions view shows one listing for "The Skeptics Guide", regardless of which feed I've just tried to add, and the episodes available correspond to the most recent feed added. I've also tried adding them both at the same time from the search page, but that didn't work either.
Thanks for any ideas or bug fixes you can provide, and for your continued work on the app! It's great!

tedricb said:
First off, I really like your app -- it is by far my favorite of all the podcast apps I tried. I love the feature set, but I agree with previous comments that the UI could still use some work. I feel like it could be simplified -- currently there are a lot of different screens you can be on, and no easy way to switch between them or even to tell how the screen you're on relates to the other parts of the app. I'm using on a tablet, so a multi-pane view would be ideal for me (though obviously not for phone users).
OK, here's my issue: I'm trying to subscribe to two feeds from the same content producer. But every time I add the second feed, it replaces the first one -- and vice versa. The feeds are from the Skeptics' Guide To The Universe podcast -- they do their main show in one feed, and occasional mini-episodes in another feed. I would link to the xml files, but the forum won't let me. They're easy to find on the Skeptics' Guide website.
Is there some trick I can try to get both feeds to show up? Currently my subscriptions view shows one listing for "The Skeptics Guide", regardless of which feed I've just tried to add, and the episodes available correspond to the most recent feed added. I've also tried adding them both at the same time from the search page, but that didn't work either.
Thanks for any ideas or bug fixes you can provide, and for your continued work on the app! It's great!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
Sorry for the late answer I didn't saw the notification.
I'm working on a new UI for the v2.0.
Regarding your feed problem, for now there's a restriction when 2 feeds share the same Podcast name...
I'll try to remove this restriction ASAP

Great App - 2 questions
This podcast app is really well done. I'm used to the UI, it didn't take much, and I love the different choices available in the settings. I have two questions:
Headset control
I'm having an issue with my motorolla stereo bluetooth headset, where after a few times pressing pause to pause and resume, the internal player eventually does not accept commands from my bluetooth to pause. Pressing the buttons no longer works. Any suggestions? I do have the Headset Controls option checked.
Removal of 'marked read'
Although I've marked many of my podcasts as read (I have it download a news segment hourly but might not get to listen for a day and no longer need the old ones), they are not getting deleted. They're still in the app and the trash can is available. Do I not have one of the settings correct? I have the Automatic Deletion option checked.

fldavem said:
This podcast app is really well done. I'm used to the UI, it didn't take much, and I love the different choices available in the settings. I have two questions:
Headset control
I'm having an issue with my motorolla stereo bluetooth headset, where after a few times pressing pause to pause and resume, the internal player eventually does not accept commands from my bluetooth to pause. Pressing the buttons no longer works. Any suggestions? I do have the Headset Controls option checked.
Removal of 'marked read'
Although I've marked many of my podcasts as read (I have it download a news segment hourly but might not get to listen for a day and no longer need the old ones), they are not getting deleted. They're still in the app and the trash can is available. Do I not have one of the settings correct? I have the Automatic Deletion option checked.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
Right now there's no link between the downloaded file and the read status. So if you mark an episode read it will not delete the file.
You can delete it manually or you can delete every read episodes from the filter 'Downloaded episodes'. In the menu select the 'Delete read episodes' entry.
I will add a new pref to automatically delete an episode when it's mark read.
Regarding the issue with your BT headset is it a one time problem ? I don't have a BT headset to test it, but I'm using a 'wired' headset on a daily basis and the play/pause commands works great. I'll try to look into this problem but without some hardware to test I cant't promess anything

Notifications
First I would like to thank you for making such a great app. I tried a bunch of apps and this one was definitely the best. I have one piece of feedback about the notifications. It gives two boxes when podcasts update. One that says updates have been downloaded and another that says how many. I think the notification would be more useful if it showed one box with the app symbol then listed the podcasts downloaded. Thanks. David

[APP][2.3+] Mac remote (2.0) (UPDATED 4/4)

{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Only works on OSX devices! and requieres your phone and computer sharing same wifi network!
With this application, you will be able to control the media playback on your mac!
In a simple way, you will have a remote control in your hand, without needing to install additional programs on your computer. (SUPER EASY INSTALLATION)
ITS EVEN BETTER THAN APPLE REMOTE, AND FOR FREE!
You will be able to watch movies without getting off the couch!
With this application you will be able to control the followings media players in an individually way
-VLC
-itunes
-Iphoto
-Spotify
-Quicktime (now working)
-MplayerX
-Preview
-Keynote
-Powerpoint
Also you will be able to shutdown, suspend and adjust brightness and volume! Everything remotely!
There is an in app purchase to upgrade to FULL VERSION wich features (more features will be added in the future):
- Ad free experience
- Remote file browser and launcher
DEVELOPER NOTES:
EVERY KIND OF FEEDBACK IS WELCOME.
-- The media players' name belongs to its respective developers/companies, I DO NOT OWN THEM --
(for the ones interested, the password & username & ip of your mac are stored securely)
You can also find it on google play
SOME VIDEOS
ENGLISH
SPANISH

changelog
2.0
- Added brasilian language
- Added Remote file launcher
1.8
- Quicktime Fixed
- Keynote and PowerPoint Added
1.7
-Quicktime I think still broken (apple's fault, at least doesn't work on my mac)
-Shutdown button and dialog fixed
-Added VLC FastForward and Rewind
-Added Preview Support
-Some UI fixes
-Made UI more compact
1.6
-added support for MplayerX!
-changed name
-fixed ads issue (if you purchased the ad removal but still showing, send me a mail please!)
-some menu fixes
1.5
-corrected InApp billing.
-Revamped sleep icon (the older one didn't fit..)
1.4
-Corrected some strings
1.3
-Disabled Some animations in order to fix a problem on gingerbread devices
-Some UI fixes
-Improved tutorial
-Some Bugfixes
-changed name
1.2
-Initial Release

Gonna try this later at home. Thanks.
Hopefully this will be in play store...

This is awesome!
well done :good::good::good:
Only one suggestion:
Is it possible to add support for the Chrome Extension "Sway.fm Unified Music Media Keys"
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/swayfm-unified-music-medi/icckhjgjjompfgoiidainoapgjepncej
Many Streaming Services, such as 8tracks.com or just simple youtube-Playback work within the browser.
This extension allows the usage of the Macs Media Keys with those "in page playbacks".
It would be great to have an option to send the media controls just to the OS, without any other appliction selected. Then the aforementioned Chrome extension would capture the input and redirect it. I guess that would be the easiest way.
Thanks for your work!
PS: I liked the Tutorial. Easy and really helpful!

Awesome app, here's some stuff to make it perfect:
- Auto connection on app start.
- Only one button for Play/Pause would be good for some apps.
- Some applications has wrong capitalization.

Awsome work!!! works flowlessy. just maybe add in the tutorial that you need to add your username and password of the mac system. because i let access to everyone but i cannot connect until i added them!!!
where can we donate for a beer? thanks!

It's fantastic, thank you so much
Just a question, there is a way to control Apple TV also with this your new software? Ty in advance...

spaboleo said:
This is awesome!
well done :good::good::good:
Only one suggestion:
Is it possible to add support for the Chrome Extension "Sway.fm Unified Music Media Keys"
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/swayfm-unified-music-medi/icckhjgjjompfgoiidainoapgjepncej
Many Streaming Services, such as 8tracks.com or just simple youtube-Playback work within the browser.
This extension allows the usage of the Macs Media Keys with those "in page playbacks".
It would be great to have an option to send the media controls just to the OS, without any other appliction selected. Then the aforementioned Chrome extension would capture the input and redirect it. I guess that would be the easiest way.
Thanks for your work!
PS: I liked the Tutorial. Easy and really helpful!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow! great extension! I'm gonna look into it.
a3Dman said:
Awesome app, here's some stuff to make it perfect:
- Auto connection on app start.
- Only one button for Play/Pause would be good for some apps.
- Some applications has wrong capitalization.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Note taken, . Hopefully will be added on the next release (I had autoconnection in mind also, and is half baked)
dagothe9 said:
Awsome work!!! works flowlessy. just maybe add in the tutorial that you need to add your username and password of the mac system. because i let access to everyone but i cannot connect until i added them!!!
where can we donate for a beer? thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll take a note on that! Donate for beer... There is a remove ad option wich is 1€, Thanky ou very much! Also I'm gonna setup the donate button on xda
Graphic74 said:
It's fantastic, thank you so much
Just a question, there is a way to control Apple TV also with this your new software? Ty in advance...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't own an Apple TV... but I can look into that, and if I need some beta testing, I'll contact you for sure!

mushrom said:
I don't own an Apple TV... but I can look into that, and if I need some beta testing, I'll contact you for sure!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great!

I can't seem to get it to work with any app. It clearly connects, and I can control the volume, brightness, and the other non-app specific functions, but not anything else. I've mainly been trying to get it to work with MPlayerX, but iTunes and Quicktime also did not work. Any ideas?

QuickTime right now is broken and I don't know why... itunes and MplayerX should work... On the next release I'm planning to implement some sort of loging system to make debugging easier...
Stay tunned, but I'd avise to restart computer maybe (idk, I'm just especulating) ... wich OSX version do you have?

mushrom said:
QuickTime right now is broken and I don't know why... itunes and MplayerX should work... On the next release I'm planning to implement some sort of loging system to make debugging easier...
Stay tunned, but I'd avise to restart computer maybe (idk, I'm just especulating) ... wich OSX version do you have?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Umm, OS X 10.8.2.

Really nice app! As I read in a comment, I'd love a fast forward/rewind option, instead of the skip by chunks (or if it's easier, a "go to *time*"). It can be implemented like the swipe to fast forward/rewind in the MacBook touchpad. Other than that, it's awesome (tested with VLC so far).

First i just want to thank you mushrom for this innovative tool for our beloved android devices and our macs .
Ill be using this mostly for Spotify, it works well but i cannot pause the player i can only play it. Other than that works great, i can raise the volume up and down and adjust brightness as well.
Im running a Macbook late 2009 edition with 10.6.8 SL if that helps at all. Thanks again

Works great. Thanks so much.
Is there any way to control the mouse or keyboard as well ala Unified Remote?
Also a fast forward and reverse button for MplayerX as well.
Thanks.

I just got a Mac yesterday. Not sure if possible but it would be great if this worked over Bluetooth. Thanks!

Awesome exactly what I have been looking for, would be great if you can add Plex support.

not working for me. Maybe because I am on college network and this is prevented somehow?

Re: [APP][2.3+] Mac remote (1.7)
Not working for everyone?

jmtast said:
Really nice app! As I read in a comment, I'd love a fast forward/rewind option, instead of the skip by chunks (or if it's easier, a "go to *time*"). It can be implemented like the swipe to fast forward/rewind in the MacBook touchpad. Other than that, it's awesome (tested with VLC so far).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I will look into that thanks for your support and feedback!
mindstate said:
First i just want to thank you mushrom for this innovative tool for our beloved android devices and our macs .
Ill be using this mostly for Spotify, it works well but i cannot pause the player i can only play it. Other than that works great, i can raise the volume up and down and adjust brightness as well.
Im running a Macbook late 2009 edition with 10.6.8 SL if that helps at all. Thanks again
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Even with the pause button? Anyway should be fixed in the following update. Your welcome! Thanks for your support!
lolz mclollerson said:
Works great. Thanks so much.
Is there any way to control the mouse or keyboard as well ala Unified Remote?
Also a fast forward and reverse button for MplayerX as well.
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll look into MplayerX ff and rw buttons, mouse and keyboard input i think is imposible, but I'll think arround thanks for your support!
PulseDroid said:
Awesome exactly what I have been looking for, would be great if you can add Plex support.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Plex is unlikely to happen, I think is out of the scope of this application, also there are some apps already!
eww242 said:
not working for me. Maybe because I am on college network and this is prevented somehow?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If they block ssh connections (Wich probably do) then you cant... You can allways create a hotspot by the phone or the mac eitherway and connect.
MplayerX problems are because the only suported version is the latest one! And quicktime fix is comming in following update
Also powerpoint coming!

Setting up your phone

Browsing through the internet I found a good article .Searched for a lookalike on xda but couldnt find it So created a thread.
So you just unwrapped an Android phone and, man, is it shiny. Here are suggestions for apps to grab, settings to tweak, and really nifty things you can do with your Google-powered mini-supercomputer.Cause not everyone is a pro
With luck, your shiny new Android phone is running Jelly Bean or at least Ice Cream Sandwich, so not a ton of updating should be required. If you're coming from an old Android phone, we have a guide specifically for you that will show you how to move all of your apps, settings, and data from your old phone to your new one. Still, there's nothing wrong with a fresh start with a brand new phone, so let's start from the beginning. Your awesome new Android phone is capable of a lot. Here's just a taste of what it can do:
Get the Latest and Greatest Google Stuff
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Before you start playing around and getting used to how things work, why don't you do two quick things: Set up a Wi-Fi connection, then update your phone's built-in applications. There are likely newer versions available than the ones you have on your just-opened phone, so they're worth picking up.
To connect to Wi-Fi, hit your phone's Menu button (the button with either parallel lines, or the two boxes), choose System Settings from the menu that pops up, then under Wireless & Networks tap Wi-Fi. On the next screen, enable Wi-Fi and wait for the list of nearby networks to update. Pick out your home router name (or your relatives'), enter a password if necessary, and now have some fun.
Open the Play Store app from your list of applications (press the grid-like, bottom-middle on-screen button to get there if it's not on one of your home screens), then tap the Menu button and select "My Apps." The list should be separated, with apps you have updates for at the top. Tap "Update" to update them all at once. If you don't see updates for some of your apps, you may have to search them out to download the newer version.
Google Maps: Google Maps shines on Android. Seriously - in addition to offering you free turn-by-turn navigation, Google Maps can help you with walking directions, public transit to your destination, and it even offers maps and walking directions of indoor places like airports and museums so you can find your way around. You might also pick up some "splinter" apps, like Google Local.
Gmail: The ubiquitous mail app just picked up pinch to zoom, swipe to delete, and some other handy features not too long ago. Make sure to update to the newest version.
Voice Actions/Search or Google Now: Google Search for Android controls your phone with your voice, but can send SMS messages, navigate you to your destination, place calls, find nearby businesses, and more as you talk to it. If you're running Jelly Bean, you get the full benefit of Google Now, a full-on virtual assistant that responds to your voice, keeps an eye on when you should leave for your next appointment or go home to beat the traffic, helps you manage travel, and much more. If you have Ice Cream Sandwich, you can get it too with some work, but Search offers many of the voice features we love.
Google Chrome: Even though it's only available on Ice Cream Sandwich and Jelly Bean devices, Google Chrome sings on Android. It left beta earlier this year and is one of the best Android browsers available. If you use Chrome on the desktop, Chrome Sync is built-in, so open tabs, bookmarks, passwords, and history are all available everywhere, and most importantly, it's blazing fast.
Google+: We love Google+, and think it's great for a lot of things even if (and especially if) your friends may not be on it. The Android app just picked up a huge update for people who love sharing photos, checking into their favorite locations, and hanging out via Google Hangouts video chat. Once you're all signed up and set up, don't forget to add Lifehacker to your circles!
Google Play Music: If you're really going to live the Android life, Google Music is both a music store and a music locker with millions of tracks and label support, and tons of cloud storage for your uploaded songs and your purchased music, all for free, and all accessible on your Android phone. Google Play Music just picked up scan-and-match so you don't have to spend days uploading songs, and considering the app can play music in the cloud or on your phone, we think it's a good choice for a secondary media player.
Google Currents: Google's magazine-style newsreader looks great, hooks into Google Reader so you can read your favorite blogs, and offers featured and curated content in a variety of categories to help you stay up to date and share interesting reads with your friends. The app was just updated to make breaking news easier to find and more news categories easier to read.
Set up Google Voice(mail): If you're intrigued by Google Voice, Google's one-number service with free SMS and other perks, Android is where you should be. You can even port your number to Google Voice so no one calling you knows the difference. Still, even if you don't want to, you can use Google Voice as your voicemail provider and send texts through the web. Activate the Voice app on your phone, and it will take care of your phone's configuration. From then on, your voicemail will go to Google, where it'll be transcribed, archived, and managed like email on your phone. You can even read or listen to your voicemail on the web, mark telemarketers as spam, and set up multiple greetings for different people. If you're an SMS fanatic, the app has been supports group texting and voicemail pre-fetching, so no more getting a voicemail in Google Voice and only being notified on your Android phone hours later.
Get Google Drive: Drive, the new name for Google's combination of Google Docs and cloud storage space, is just as great on your Android device as it is on the desktop. Well, mostly anyway—the mobile app just picked up editing and presentation support, which makes it useful for quick file edits as well as just viewing documents you need to review on the go.
Your Android doesn't need a USB cable to play or sync music on your desktop computer—though it can work that way, if that's more your speed. But setting up Wi-Fi syncing and internet streaming for your Android is so simple, you might never need to cord-hunt again when you want to switch up your playlist.
Music Player Showdown: Which Desktop Player Is Best for Syncing to Android?: If you want to use your Android phone as a music player (and survey says you do) then you'll need a media player that rocks when it comes to syncing your music. If you don't want to use Google Music (or can't, since it's US-only), Whitson has some options for you.
How to Sync Android with Windows as Seamlessly as an iPhone: Speaking of easy, Whitson walked us through the process of syncing our Android phones with your Windows systems quickly and easily in a way that's repeatable without a ton of hassle.
Upgrade Your Smartphone's Music and Podcast Abilities This Weekend: While it's not Android-only, this guide to beefing up your smartphone's media capabilities will get you rocking out and listening to your favorite podcasts on your device in no time.
How Can I Get an iTunes-Like Experience For My Android Phone?: If you're coming to Android from an iPod, iPod Touch, or iPhone, you may be wishing there were a way to just plug-in your Android device and sync all of your media, music, and podcasts. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to do it, and we're happy to show you how.
How to Set Up Your Android for Automated Wi-Fi Syncing with DoubleTwist: When this is set up-and, really, it only takes about 15 minutes, much less if you've already connected AirSync-you'll have a computer and phone that "check in" with each other regularly over Wi-Fi. No cables needed, and you don't have to click the Sync button.
Winamp for Android Updates, Now Syncs with Macs Wirelessly: If DoubleTwist isn't right for you, try Winamp for Android—it syncs with Macs and Windows PCs over USB or wirelessly, syncs iTunes playlists, and is overall and excellent music player for Android. We've mentioned it before, and it still whips the llama's a**.
Troubleshoot the Tricky Stuff
Your Android phone is a great device, and Android as a mobile OS is much more mature and polished now than it used to be. Still, there are times where you need to troubleshoot problems and fix issues you'll run up against. Here are some tips. Photo by Sylvain Naudin.
How to Upgrade to a New Android Phone and Take Everything With You: If your new Android device is a replacement for an old one, taking your data with you is easy. We show you how.
How to Set Up a Fully Automated App and Settings Backup on Android: Once you get your Android device all set up and to your liking, don't let tragedy happen to you. Make sure you make sure your phone is regularly backed up so you don't have to worry about your data. Your Android phone is a mini-computer that has a lot of precious information on it, and keeping it safe is easy and takes only a few minutes to set up.
How to Speed Up, Clean Up, and Revive Your Android Phone: After installing a bunch of apps and games, your phone might slow down a good bit. Never fear, cleaning it up and getting back the speed you need is easier than you think.
How Can I Fix My Android's Crappy GPS: Turn-by-turn navigation and Google Maps are great...when they don't take forever to initialize and pinpoint your position. Here's how to fix that little annoyance, once and for all.
Use Android's ‘Safe Mode' to Disable Apps and Troubleshoot Problems: Apps giving you trouble? Installed or uninstalled something and now your phone is slow as molasses? Android's built-in "safe mode" may be able to help.
How Do I Fix My Bricked Android Phone?: One of the first things many of you may do with a brand new Android phone is root it and possibly install a new ROM. If that process doesn't go very well and you wind up with a brand new hunk of plastic and metal on your desk that's completely unresponsive, all may not be lost! There are plenty of ways to approach a so-called "bricked" phone that may bring it back to life.
The Best Data Usage Tracker for Android: Just as many smartphones added tethering support and enough great features that we wanted to use the hell out of our data plans, most carriers are killing unlimited plans and serving up overage fees for breaking your bandwidth caps. If you have Ice Cream Sandwich or Jelly Bean, you have tools built-in to keep an eye on your bandwidth usage, but if you want a per-app breakdown and some more tools, try this app.
How Do I Convert Video for my Android Phone?: Converting videos for the iPod is so easy in iTunes, but I can't seem to get videos to play on my Android device. How can I convert videos so that they'll play in the native Android video player?
Android Task Killers Explained: What They Do and Why You Shouldn't Use Them: Android task killers improve your phone's performance while also boosting battery life-or at least that's the much-debated promise. Here's a look at how task killers actually work, when you should (or shouldn't) use them, and what you can do instead.
Expand Your Phone's Capabilities
Beyond apps and tweaks, you can make your phone do some really neat things. Things like tell you where it is if it's lost or stolen. Things like play any song or video you happen to have on a nearby TV. Things like send a text back to your wife to let her know you're driving, not just callously ignoring her calls.
The Always Up-To-Date Guide to Rooting Any Android Phone: We recently updated our Android rooting guide to include lots of ICS and Jelly Bean-friendly options and tools for newer devices on the market now. One of the best things you can do to extend the functionality of your Android device is root it, and we're happy to show you how.
Five Best Android Launchers: One way to extend the features of your phone just by installing an app is to grab a new Android launcher. It'll completely change the way you interact with your phone, and in many cases it's free, can actually add features you didn't have in the first place, and offer you more customization options. Here are five great ones to choose from.
How to Choose the Right Android ROM for You: Ready to take the next step after rooting? If you really want to completely customize and tweak your Android experience, or just relieve yourself of carrier crapware and try out a new version or flavor of Android, installing a new ROM is the way to go. Think of it like installing a new OS on your computer—meaning you should be careful to back up your data and do your homework beforehand. Need some suggestions? Check out these five great Android ROMS.
How to Get Better Battery Life and Performance on Your Android Phone with a New Kernel: What's that? Rooting and installing a new ROM isn't enough for you? Well then, you might want to consider installing a whole new kernel for the ultimate performance boost. It's not for the weak of heart, but the benefits definitely outweigh the drawbacks. Just back up and make sure you know what you're doing before you start. Our guide will walk you through it.
How to Turn Your Android into a Killer Portable Media and Gaming Center: Want to get your game on with your Android phone or tablet? Sure, there are plenty of games you can play on the device, but why not use it as a media center, or hook it up with your TV for some serious gaming?
Use Your Android Phone as a Wi-Fi Hotspot for Free: The beauty of Android is that you can tether your phone to any device in your home pretty easily, and largely for free, as long as you don't go over your data caps or anger your carrier. Here's how to do it, and never worry about your cable going out at home again.
Turn Your Phone into a Universal Media Hub to Play Your Music, Photos, and Videos, Anytime, Anywhere: If you carry around media on your phone, sometimes it just won't cut it to play your songs through your headphones or your video on that tiny screen. Here's how you can turn your Android phone into a hub that can wirelessly play the movie you have downloaded on the big screen, or stream your favorite tunes to the stereo in another room.
How to Stream Media from Your Home to Your Phone Anywhere with Plex: If you'd rather leave the music and movies at home and take your phone with you on the go, this guide will walk you through turning your Android phone into a device you can use to enjoy all of the media you have at home, wherever you roam.
Turn Your Android Phone into a Personal Trainer: Work off those pounds you put on thanks to the Thanksgiving turkey and the Christmas ham with your shiny new Android phone. There are plenty of apps to help you get the most out of your workouts at home, at the gym, or outside, keep track of your progress, and meet your health and weight loss goals. Here's how to turn that new phone into a pocket gym you can take with you anywhere.
How to Find the Right Android Keyboard For You: Before you go too far with your Android phone, you may want to do something about the stock Android keyboard. There's nothing wrong with it, specifically, but there are some much better options out there that can make using your device easier and more fun.
Do Android Antivirus Apps Actually Do Anything?: If you've been hearing all about Android malware and you're worried you'll need an antivirus or anti-malware app on your Android phone, read this first before you install one.
How to Turn Your Tablet Into an Awesome Productivity-Boosting Second Screen: If you have an Android tablet, it doesn't have to just be an entertainment, social, and media device. It can be a great productivity booster as well, and you can do real work on it. Here's how.
How to Track and (Potentially) Recover Your Stolen Laptop or Android with Prey: There are obvious reasons to like Prey. Chief among them, it's free to use for up to three devices of any kind, from computers running Windows, Mac, or Linux to Android devices. But that wouldn't mean anything if the tracking Prey provided wasn't really solid. It's not fool-proof, especially if the thief wants to entirely wipe your computer or phone, but if that's not the case, it gives you a fighting chance.
CREDITS
*LIFEHACKER.COM
*INTERNET

Hi,
Nice. :good:
Will add a link to my first post.
A lot of good information in there.

Well done ...nice op....Loads of useful information...

Hats Off my dear buddy. This is what I can expect from you. Did a great job. Full of informations.:good:

btw i msut disable email adn use gmails app its a lot better
---------- Post added at 07:48 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:39 PM ----------
lol in iran i opened all the links and i saw this in my browser
filtered
blocked blocked blocked blocked blocked blocked blocked blocked blocked blocked blocked blocked blocked blocked

Coming here as a complete newb to Android and smartphones in general, this list will be useful, so thank you very much for putting it together. I'm also interested in the ROMs I've been seeing around here, as they seem to really add to an already great phone. I've also read though that flashing new ROMs means you can't use stock features like the camera apps, IR blaster, air view, smart pause, etc so I'll probably hold off on doing that.

Moved to General thread

Bump
Sent from my GT-I9103 using xda app-developers app

Thanksssssssssssssssssssssss

Added to sticky threads
As this is a nice guide, just added it HERE

Steve0007 said:
As this is a nice guide, just added it HERE
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you Sir.
Sent from my GT-I9103 using xda app-developers app

Excellent guide thanks for the information it has been a big help

Reference link: http://www.ebay.com/gds/How-to-Set-...he-First-Time-/10000000177371112/g.html:good:

[APP][4.0+] Kore, a new Kodi/XBMC remote

Hi all,
Kore is a new Kodi/XBMC remote for Android, which aims to be simple, easy to use and beautiful.
Kore allows you to control your Kodi/XBMC, see what's currently playing and the current playlist, change subtitles and audiostreams, download your media locally, access your media library, check info about each item (supports movies, TV shows, music and addons), and more.
Kore is free and open source. The in-app purchase lets you buy me a coffee, so i can continue to improve Kore.
Some links:
Google Play
APK
Source
Kore is new, and though I've tried my best to make sure it works, surely there are bugs lurking somewhere. Help me test it and report your experiences here or contact me.
Thanks
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}

looks nice, gj op.

BakaB said:
looks nice, gj op.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. Tried to follow Material design guidelines, though i took some liberties at some points. It also looks better on lollipop as there are some extra animations.

Looks promising. Long time a yatse user, but I'm giving this app a try. Beautiful and with all the features I normally use. Just a suggestion to make the send text option visible in the top bar with an icon, instead of hidden in the menu. Thanks

looks promising. Also a long time Yatse User, but will give this certainly a try!

Thanks for trying it. If you find any bugs, please report them.
Penacal said:
Looks promising. Long time a yatse user, but I'm giving this app a try. Beautiful and with all the features I normally use. Just a suggestion to make the send text option visible in the top bar with an icon, instead of hidden in the menu. Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Will consider it. I know that having only one command under the menu doesn't make much sense, and that it should be a separate icon, but in the future i suspect that there will be more commands under the menu, so that's why i chose to include it right from the start.

will give it a try:good:

Android Wear
I recommend adding Android Wear support, after realizing Yatse does, I bought it immediately! Good Luck!

Looking promising but still lots of bugs. For example the obvious bug is when you click on the remote button (which is on the upper screen) doesn't do anything except "connecting" and may crush after a while.
when the app search for my kodi it doesn't find it although with yatse it does.
Hope to see bug fixes and many more features in the future.

Sweet!
Much improved from the old Official XBMC Remote app.
Thanks!

I can see this giving Yatse a run if we could get streaming integrated. Very cool that you made it open source.

It is just the start in terms of functions and bugs, but it is beautiful! Long time paid Yatse user and if you continue this way I will have to re-think which app I am going to use.

It works great, good job Also much better looking than the old official XBMC one.
I've tried Yatse also, but I just needed an app which had remote control and not all the other stuff, like libraries and streaming etc. And this seems to fit quite well
Hopefully you keep it light-weight and simple.

KillerApp
Woah, dude, this is awesome. Very nice piece of software.
Finally my xmbc device is useful again

Just wondering would it be possible to bring Phone notifications with this remote? I use Kodi on Fire TV one thing I would love to see if notifications from my phone like texts etc.. would be awesome!

VERY NICE!! :good::good:
Suggestion :
Is it possible to add a "volume slider" just above, below or to the side of the remote buttons for a smoother and faster volume adjustment?
Great job!!
Subscribed to this thread.

Looking good. Library loads quickly and scrolls smoothly.
The only bug I see is that some TV series do not show episodes under the season. Going to the episodes tab shows the seasons but clicking the season does nothing but toggle the little arrow. Forcing a refresh seems to allow you to see the episodes. Other series do not have this issue.
I am a long time Yatse user here and its nice to see another nicely designed XBMC/Kodi remote app.

RMD said:
I recommend adding Android Wear support, after realizing Yatse does, I bought it immediately! Good Luck!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agree, though i need to get a moto 360 first, and i still haven't been able to justify that buy to myself.
nirmitlamed said:
Looking promising but still lots of bugs. For example the obvious bug is when you click on the remote button (which is on the upper screen) doesn't do anything except "connecting" and may crush after a while.
when the app search for my kodi it doesn't find it although with yatse it does.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does it crash? Can you send the report to Google so that i can access the stack trace and check it.
Seems like it didn't connect to your kodi. Do you have a firewall and might it be preventing it from connecting. BTW, automatically finding kodi/xbmc is done through zeroconf, which can be tricky. Try hitting the "search again" button several times.
fivefour said:
I can see this giving Yatse a run if we could get streaming integrated. Very cool that you made it open source.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
KreAch3R said:
It is just the start in terms of functions and bugs, but it is beautiful! Long time paid Yatse user and if you continue this way I will have to re-think which app I am going to use.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks.
WarCow said:
It works great, good job Also much better looking than the old official XBMC one.
I've tried Yatse also, but I just needed an app which had remote control and not all the other stuff, like libraries and streaming etc. And this seems to fit quite well
Hopefully you keep it light-weight and simple.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, i want to keep it simple and easy to use.
patt2k said:
Just wondering would it be possible to bring Phone notifications with this remote? I use Kodi on Fire TV one thing I would love to see if notifications from my phone like texts etc.. would be awesome!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not very keen on messing with notifications or, for instance, pausing videos when a call comes, because that requires some permissions which can be hard to justify (access notifications, access phone calls. On a remote app? why?). Yeah, i know, there are justifications and this is open-source and all, but i'm still not convinced (for now, i may change my mind).
HueMann said:
VERY NICE!! :good::good:
Suggestion :
Is it possible to add a "volume slider" just above, below or to the side of the remote buttons for a smoother and faster volume adjustment?
Great job!!
Subscribed to this thread.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Will consider it, though i'm not sure how to make it look good. I really need help from a designer...
zanix said:
Looking good. Library loads quickly and scrolls smoothly.
The only bug I see is that some TV series do not show episodes under the season. Going to the episodes tab shows the seasons but clicking the season does nothing but toggle the little arrow. Forcing a refresh seems to allow you to see the episodes. Other series do not have this issue.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Possibly the library syncing hadn't finished yet. After you add a media center, the syncing starts, and it can take a while. If you go to Movies/TV Shows/Music while it is syncing you'll get partial results, and seeing all the TV Shows, but not the episodes is a symptom of that. By the way, if you did a refresh while the other sync was running, you might get duplicate episodes... If thats the case just do another refresh.

Does it crash? Can you send the report to Google so that i can access the stack trace and check it.
Seems like it didn't connect to your kodi. Do you have a firewall and might it be preventing it from connecting. BTW, automatically finding kodi/xbmc is done through zeroconf, which can be tricky. Try hitting the "search again" button several times.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
now it didn't crush but still the connecting text. it only happens when genesis let me choose from a list, otherwise it works. How can i send you the report and get the report file?
about the automatic finding, i don't know what to tell you, everything in kodi settings is ok, i don't have firewall, yatse find my ip, but in kore i need to enter it manually.

really great on the nexus 6. i love the app, just a lot better than the official xbmc remote - maybe you should if kodi wants your app as official one
one little thing: there should be a possibility to abort the download of a movie to the smartphone, this will take a long time now
coffee: bought