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For almost 2 years I used a Touch Diamond. While WiMo is far from perfect in todays world with a bit of tweaking and some extra software I had a device that did what I wanted it to do. Sure, WiMo isnt what you´d call fast but as said, it did what it had to do.
For the past few days I´ve been using android with my new htc legend. I heard a lot of good things about android and that is why I decided to switch. But even after a few days I´m already having a feeling of regret. While android is very fast and finger friendly the OS/apps itself just don't cut it compared to WiMo. About 75% of the things I did on a daily basis with my phone just don't work (properly) on android.
Syncing mail with hotmail is a *****. It for example does not sync read messages so everytime I login with my pc I still have to click all new messages while I already read them on my phone. This worked perfectly with WiMo.
No automatic 3g disconnect. Now this isnt default on WiMo either but there are apps that just disconnect a idle data connection. Now android has a whole bunch of apps like juicedefender but they just dont work properly and are overcomplicated. Just disconnect if I don't use it. Thats all I want. Let apps and whatever connect when they want to and kill the connection when they are done. Simple you'd think but impossible on android it seems.
Youtube is a epic fail. In the exact same place, with the exact same simcard I just can't load a movie. They all stop after 3 seconds and don't load further. Also there is no option for always having HQ. The WiMo app had this and I could always load HQ movies without trouble.
But it gets even worse when it comes to much more practical things. The browser won't save exchange webmail login info. So now I'm expected to loging like 5 times a day to my uni mail by typing my info every time? Not nice.
And what about displaying agenda items? can't do that on the lockscreen. There are apps to do this but not on the htc sense one as far as I've seen. So I have to manually check my agenda which is just a ***** because I'm just to seeing things come up on the homescreen.
Also I can't login to the uni website. You should get a login popup but the android browser doesnt seem to be capable of this. Ofcourse this was no problem at all with a 2 year old browser... So now I can't check schedules and all.
Also there is no way to stream my favorite internet radio station.
Basically I pay 10 euro's a month for internet on my phone but all apps I regulairy use with internet don't work or only work a bit on android.
Don't get me wrong, I love the speed and all but what good is speed to me if I can't use most of the functions that are important to me? What is even more disturbing is that non of the things I want to do are very special. This should all just work but it seems to be far above what android is capable of.
Basically to me android is a disfunctional OS. If the above things would work, I'd love it but now all I got is speed, but no way of doing the things I want.
Nice try, but not quite it.
sjaak1234 said:
Syncing mail with hotmail is a *****. It for example does not sync read messages so everytime I login with my pc I still have to click all new messages while I already read them on my phone. This worked perfectly with WiMo.
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Click to collapse
That's hardly Android error - it just seems to be a bug in the mail client app. Maybe yry another one?
No automatic 3g disconnect. Now this isnt default on WiMo either but there are apps that just disconnect a idle data connection. Now android has a whole bunch of apps like juicedefender but they just dont work properly and are overcomplicated. Just disconnect if I don't use it. Thats all I want. Let apps and whatever connect when they want to and kill the connection when they are done. Simple you'd think but impossible on android it seems.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's not as simple as it sounds - android has to have an active data connection to enable IM messages as well as gmail imap notifications. Unlike POP3 e-mail accounts where you have to querry the server for new e-mails once in a while, gmail actually sends information to your phone when you get an email. And this wouldn't be possible if the connection was turned off.
And if you don't want to use gmail or gtalk, just disable background data in android's data sync settings and the 3g module won't eat your battery when unneeded. Don't worry, android is much smarter with power management than winMo and the fact that you didn't disable something by hand doesn't mean that it's eating your battery.
It's like GPS - even if it;s turned on in options/on power control wigdet the module isn't physically powered up until an app requests to use it. And when it's done the module powers down again. But still you see people disabling gps support in options after exiting maps believing that it will save some battery, or even requesting an app that would disable the switch on power control wigdet.
So just remember - it's a different OS, it has different rules and the fact that you did something by hand in winMo doesn't mean you have to do it here.
Youtube is a epic fail. In the exact same place, with the exact same simcard I just can't load a movie. They all stop after 3 seconds and don't load further. Also there is no option for always having HQ. The WiMo app had this and I could always load HQ movies without trouble.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Again, this seems to be a problem with your rom/app version. I (and many other people) don't have any trouble with YT on android.
As for the HQ, it's turned on automatically when you're on wifi, on a gsm connection it defaults to standard quality. Personally i like this behavior but i agree that there should be an option to change that for people with huge/unlimited data plans.
But it gets even worse when it comes to much more practical things. The browser won't save exchange webmail login info. So now I'm expected to loging like 5 times a day to my uni mail by typing my info every time? Not nice.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Weird, but also not android bug, just the browser. You might want to try some alternatives (like dolphin, skyfire, opera mini)
And what about displaying agenda items? can't do that on the lockscreen. There are apps to do this but not on the htc sense one as far as I've seen. So I have to manually check my agenda which is just a ***** because I'm just to seeing things come up on the homescreen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay, and since when does WinMo display the agenda without any additional software? But i agree, htc really should make some "upcomming events" widget, and default android could use one as well. For now i use "CalWidget" and i know of "pure calendar widget" (paid). I don't know it they're compatible with sense but it may be worth a try
Also I can't login to the uni website. You should get a login popup but the android browser doesnt seem to be capable of this. Ofcourse this was no problem at all with a 2 year old browser... So now I can't check schedules and all.
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Click to collapse
Again, hard to blame android for that. Some alternative browser might help (maybe opera mini?).
Also there is no way to stream my favorite internet radio station.
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Click to collapse
There is no way to do that or maybe you just don't know a way to do it? Try DroidLive (it might even have this station in its database) or StreamFurious. Both have usable free versions.
Don't get me wrong, I love the speed and all but what good is speed to me if I can't use most of the functions that are important to me? What is even more disturbing is that non of the things I want to do are very special. This should all just work but it seems to be far above what android is capable of.
Basically to me android is a disfunctional OS. If the above things would work, I'd love it but now all I got is speed, but no way of doing the things I want.
Nice try, but not quite it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, seems to me that you don't really have a problem with android but you just got screwed by HTC and their customized version of android
If i were you, i'd just look for an unofficial rom. It might actually fix all your problems.
Also, part of your woes seems to be the fact that you knew winMo, knew the tweaks and apps you needed to make the device do what you want. Going over to android is a fresh start where you have to find out everything again. I know, i had similar feelings on a stock rom on my G1 after being a hardcore winMo user But after some research and grabbing a new rom and few extra apps android is way more functional than winMo for me and i don't feel like ever going back.
Just give it a chance and do some research.
Android platform has to mature a lot.
WM without xda is a hell.
You really need to find a new ROM. I've never had one single issue you're talking about.
Edit: And I'm using a myTouch running 1.6.
mr_deimos said:
That's hardly Android error - it just seems to be a bug in the mail client app. Maybe yry another one?
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Click to collapse
Could be, though I doubt that. But I might try a different one.
It's not as simple as it sounds
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I know all that. But for me it does not seem to work perfectly. If I disable data connection always on (I never actually completely disable it), it still leaves it open. I checked overnight compared with just totally disabling it and it made a clear difference in the battery charge left. Its not like GPS where the icon actally dissapears when you don't use it but this doesnt happen with 3g so far as I can see it, it still uses more power than when disabling it.
I understand all the google stuff needs it, but I don't use any of it so for me its rather useless.
Again, this seems to be a problem with your rom/app version. I (and many other people) don't have any trouble with YT on android.
As for the HQ, it's turned on automatically when you're on wifi, on a gsm connection it defaults to standard quality. Personally i like this behavior but i agree that there should be an option to change that for people with huge/unlimited data plans.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did some more reachers on this and the problems seems to exist on a lot of different models/rom versions. I got the latest 2.1 rom for legend so I should have the latest (v1.5 I believe).
Weird, but also not android bug, just the browser. You might want to try some alternatives (like dolphin, skyfire, opera mini)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I reacherd a bit more and it seems to be a IIS and android problem. Wm and Iphone have the same problem but they just ignore the IIS message and continue. I tried Opera and it has the same problem. Btw, I think Opera on android is a long way off from Opera on WM. Still missing lots of functions I think.
IIS problem for the website login btw. Not sure why the exchange site doesnt save credentials but that seems to be misconfiguration. For example it wont even work on most desktop browsers either.
Okay, and since when does WinMo display the agenda without any additional software? But i agree, htc really should make some "upcomming events" widget, and default android could use one as well. For now i use "CalWidget" and i know of "pure calendar widget" (paid). I don't know it they're compatible with sense but it may be worth a try
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes ofcourse with extra software I will try the apps you posted. Thanks.
There is no way to do that or maybe you just don't know a way to do it? Try DroidLive (it might even have this station in its database) or StreamFurious. Both have usable free versions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats the problem. They work with their own databases. I just want to load a .pls or m3u file in a player and have it connect.
Well, seems to me that you don't really have a problem with android but you just got screwed by HTC and their customized version of android
If i were you, i'd just look for an unofficial rom. It might actually fix all your problems.
Also, part of your woes seems to be the fact that you knew winMo, knew the tweaks and apps you needed to make the device do what you want. Going over to android is a fresh start where you have to find out everything again. I know, i had similar feelings on a stock rom on my G1 after being a hardcore winMo user But after some research and grabbing a new rom and few extra apps android is way more functional than winMo for me and i don't feel like ever going back.
Just give it a chance and do some research.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe you are right. I know everything about WM and for me android still has a lot of things beneath its skin I don't know. If the apps I want exist I could fix some of my problems.
But some problems are just android related. The whole website thing is a combination of android and IIS configuration that don't play nice. Nothing HTC can do about this, nor can any custom rom. Its something google needs to fix. Ofcourse, if my uni would change their IIS settings it could also fix the problem but I don't think I can get them to change settings just for me.
For me that really needs to work because its a daily function for me.
Also I wonder if some things can be done. For example in WM you can just select to only use your provider. I still havn't found a way to completely disable roaming on android. Fortunatly its easy to prevent data roaming.
Okay so here's the deal. I'm a BlackBerry to Android convert and I miss my BBM. So my new project is a BBM for the Android. I won't promise that I'll actually get it to work but I have every intention of it. So here's what I want to know: What do you all want in it?
What do you think would be a good name? The more professional the better obviously. I want the messenger to be taken seriously. (I'm pretty much clueless here, I suck with names. Read my screen name, you'll understand.)
What functions do you want to have? (EX. Location parameter where the messenger tells you when you're close to a friend.)
Let me know what you want out of it. For the moment I'm creating an outline of the functions that I plan for it to have which are as follows:
Messaging
- Sent over Internet connection not via text message
- Threading (Bubbles, divisions)
- See sent/delivered/read status
- Group Chat (Without Invite)
- Group Chat (With Invite)
Contacts
- Ability to add standard contacts
- Unique Pin to each divice
- - Barcode Scanner to add contacts
Status Updates
- Ability (Choice) to sync with twitter/facebook
- Show current music selection
- Show Busy/Available Orb
- Sync Busy/Available Status with Google calendar
Location Settings
- Update/Share Location with other contacts
- Ping/Alert of Contacts near you
- Show all contacts on map
Maybe Added
- Video Chat
(I don't really have a way to test this since I only have a Droid Eris but I'll see what I can do after I get a nice stable app.)
What other suggestions do you have?
And yes I'm aware of the messengers like pingchat and Hello so stop telling me to use those please.
Current Suggested Names:
A2M - Android - Android Messenger (A^2 M. When it was explained to me it was like A squared (A^2 = AA))
ADM - Android Messenger
ARC - Android Relay Chat
DMA - Droid Messenger App
DAM - Droid Alert Messenger (probably won't be used because of abbreviation)
DRC - Droid Relay Chat
ADM is the obvious choice but I was hoping for something more unique/catchy...whatever. Please keep suggesting names. I'm working on the app every free moment I have.
In most likely hood the first beta will be on my Droid and those of my friends so I can see it first hand (how it behaves, speed, battery drain etc.) and not release a defective pile of code. Pretty much everybody will see this on the market rather than me posting it here but I may do both. I don't know. We'll see when that time comes. For the mean time I'll make a beta list anyway.
Beta Test List:
Pretty much anyone that asks
As for those who have said that they hope I go through with this: I will. It's going to take a while. I work full time and I'm a full time college student. This may not happen soon but it will happen.
Oh this would be awesome! I would use it.
Not trying to be a downer, but don't we already have this... gtalk?
phantomzer0 said:
Not trying to be a downer, but don't we already have this... gtalk?
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Click to collapse
Yeah I suppose, but personally, I'm just not a fan of Gtalk.
I may sound conceited saying this but, I liked then fact that BBM was pretty much exclusive to the BlackBerry. I miss that exclusivity. Everyone can use Gtalk.
Plus Gtalk doesn't have all of the features that I intend to add.
But you're not the first person to say that I and do see the point
I'd definitely give it a try too. I was a die-hard blackberry addict as well and BBM was a great tool to have. One major benefit was how fast it was (unless BB servers were down) In your app I'd hope to see high speed from phone to phone. Good luck!
i dig it.
im all for it.
maxxve said:
I'd definitely give it a try too. I was a die-hard blackberry addict as well and BBM was a great tool to have. One major benefit was how fast it was (unless BB servers were down) In your app I'd hope to see high speed from phone to phone. Good luck!
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Click to collapse
The reason BBM was so fast was that it totally bypasses the public Internet and goes straight through RIM's servers.
Honestly, Talk/Latitude. Without a private network such as BIS, there is zero practical advantage to such a system. Building an exclusive club just to feel special is childish and a waste of talent.
ConstantineXVI said:
The reason BBM was so fast was that it totally bypasses the public Internet and goes straight through RIM's servers.
Honestly, Talk/Latitude. Without a private network such as BIS, there is zero practical advantage to such a system. Building an exclusive club just to feel special is childish and a waste of talent.
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Click to collapse
Everything is a matter of perception I suppose. You see it as a waste of talent, I see it as putting a talent to use. If you read the comments, there are several in favor of the idea. Maybe they along with myself simply just don't know better, but it doesn't hurt to try does it?
If I can use what I have to make a useful tool then I will. I'm not promising anything from this. It may work and it may not. I simply want a messenger that has as much functionality as the BBM. It's not totally about exclusivity. I freely admit that if it were solely for that reason, it would be a childish motive, but it's about having something that can increase productivity as well.
uhhh you might want to check out hellomessenger. It's already available for blackberry and iPhone (even supports BIS on the blackberry), and a public beta for Android should be out soon...
anyways just my two cents. I wanted to write the same thing till I found out about hellomessenger. No point reinventing the wheel
*EDIT* errr my bad.. you already know about hellomessenger.
I would use this!!!! I love this idea!
Write an app that supports Yahoo, AIM, MSN, and Jabber (GTalk, Facebook, etc) and STAYS CONNECTED and doesn't use a boatload of data/battery. I don't care about much else as long as the client itself is designed decently.
I'd just use a Jabber client with connectors but Jabber still isn't very mobile friendly in terms of data usage, therefore battery usage.
And to stay connected and not use a lot of data almost requires a central server which proxies the connections.. Even if you lose connectivity on the phone for a moment (or minutes) your stay online and get connections.. And the central server handles all of the ping/pong, presence, all that nonsense that moves significant data.
I still miss Verichat on PalmOS. It was almost perfect.
kwazi said:
uhhh you might want to check out hellomessenger. It's already available for blackberry and iPhone (even supports BIS on the blackberry), and a public beta for Android should be out soon...
anyways just my two cents. I wanted to write the same thing till I found out about hellomessenger. No point reinventing the wheel
*EDIT* errr my bad.. you already know about hellomessenger.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haha Yup
I already know but it's still a valid point
khaytsus said:
Write an app that supports Yahoo, AIM, MSN, and Jabber (GTalk, Facebook, etc) and STAYS CONNECTED and doesn't use a boatload of data/battery. I don't care about much else as long as the client itself is designed decently.
I'd just use a Jabber client with connectors but Jabber still isn't very mobile friendly in terms of data usage, therefore battery usage.
And to stay connected and not use a lot of data almost requires a central server which proxies the connections.. Even if you lose connectivity on the phone for a moment (or minutes) your stay online and get connections.. And the central server handles all of the ping/pong, presence, all that nonsense that moves significant data.
I still miss Verichat on PalmOS. It was almost perfect.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you trying to say you want a multi-chat client which stays connected all the time but doesn't use a lot of data/battery?
Having the data network connection or wifi connection will drain battery... So having it connected all the time will drain "boatload" of battery...
Thats why apps have a sync option... where they sync every x minutes or hours... the more time between syncs the less data and battery life used.
Simple.
The latest beta of the WhatsApp uses Android Push (C2DM) ... It does not poll
So yes, it does not drain battery "unless" a message is pushed
sintaku said:
Are you trying to say you want a multi-chat client which stays connected all the time but doesn't use a lot of data/battery?
Having the data network connection or wifi connection will drain battery... So having it connected all the time will drain "boatload" of battery...
Thats why apps have a sync option... where they sync every x minutes or hours... the more time between syncs the less data and battery life used.
Simple.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok not to be the one who really is a downer here but if you are a talented app dev I would spend your time elsewhere, for all those on this thread, I read about an app that does this the other day. Delivery/Read icons, group chats, send files, images etc. Called PingChat. Reviewer says main issue is getting people on it. This is cross platform as well. I can't post a link yet so look up pingchat
sintaku said:
Are you trying to say you want a multi-chat client which stays connected all the time but doesn't use a lot of data/battery?
Having the data network connection or wifi connection will drain battery... So having it connected all the time will drain "boatload" of battery...
Thats why apps have a sync option... where they sync every x minutes or hours... the more time between syncs the less data and battery life used.
Simple.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nonsense. An idle data network connection = No drain. Wifi I don't use. I already have K9 Mail, Weather, etc syncing...
What I was asking for, which I thought was abundantly clear, was one which filters most traffic and only talks to the client or the client talks to the server as necessary and the server side otherwise handles the bulk of the normal traffic.
And there are IM apps with a "sync" option? Really? Name one.
as long as is compatible with bbm pin #
raul1905 said:
as long as is compatible with bbm pin #
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Click to collapse
RIM won't like that
They wan't BBM to stay exclusive on BB's ofcourse. I know it's bull****, but that's the way they sell so they won't ever give up the rights to BBM. If you wan't to connect with BB users, you have to make this app cross-platform like pingchat or whatsapp.
so if there is already pingchat and whatsapp.. then why make another one?
raul1905 said:
as long as is compatible with bbm pin #
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Click to collapse
Won't happen. BBM is closed protocol and goes over RIM's servers....nothing else can connect to it. Otherwise someone would have made an app with this functionality already.
I've put off getting a smartphone as long as possible, but did enough research that I think the Triumph on Virgin's $35 plan with Google voice is a smart way to go. I still have some questions about this new OS, programs, and environment, and really like the smart people on this forum, and hope you won't mind a few questions.
-What’s the best VOIP app for working with Google Voice? I've come across GrooVe IP, but would like reassurance whether it's the best option. I'd like to make calls over wifi, but I'd also like to know whether Virgin Mobile's 3g coverage is fast enough for voip (generally...). I wouldn't want to do this routinely as I'd be afraid they'd throttle me. But I would like someone who knows to share their opinion.
-How do I find out my wifi signal strength? 3G strength? GPS strength? Or even just where I can learn what the icons on the top bar stand for, and what their range is? There must be a good app for this, and I'd love a recommendation.
-If I wanted the option, how (specifically) would I switch from making a voip/data plan outgoing call to the regular phone cell plan? Would Android be smart enough to do this automatically without a wifi signal? Or would I need to change a setting in Google Voice? Any thoughts most appreciated.
-How do I find what apps are running (in background?)? Percentage of system resources, and how to kill them? I’m guessing there are apps for that. Does Android kill a process when you return to home screen? What are some of the general rules?
-I have a mac. I’m guessing most of the programs that let you manage files, root the phone, install Cyanogen mods, etc, are PC based. I found Android File Transfer, but am not clear on it's limits. Are there better options? What will the AFT program be good for? [Emulating PC’s is a pain I would rather avoid, but I have been thinking of running virtual box to donate some processing time to the Large Hadron Collider, so I might be able to run some of these PC programs]. Any advice most welcome.
-Any skins or options to turn the google apps into light text on dark background? (I'm aware of and have used the option in Gmail). I hate black text on white background. I'm kooky that way.
This Android phone is good looking, the plan costs much less than a thousand a year (which I refuse to pay), and I LOVE the Google voice options to turn your text and calls into computer files which you can archive as you wish. The Google voice activation / text / search is far superior to iAnything, voip/wifi is the balls, and I think a lot people who've been holding off from getting a smartphone will jump on this combo, and this thread may help them. Many thanks...
dcnblues said:
-How do I find out my wifi signal strength? 3G strength? GPS strength? Or even just where I can learn what the icons on the top bar stand for, and what their range is? There must be a good app for this, and I'd love a recommendation.
-How do I find what apps are running (in background?)? Percentage of system resources, and how to kill them? I’m guessing there are apps for that. Does Android kill a process when you return to home screen? What are some of the general rules?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With respect to these questions, I'm not an expert, but I'll provide a list of programs I use.
For WiFi signal strength, I'd recommend Wifi Analyzer from the Market. For 3G strength, I'd recommend Cellumap. For GPS Strength, GPS Status + Toolbox or GPS Test.
The manual for the phone can be found on either the VMUSA or Motorola web site. It will explain some of the icons. Although when using the phone, I often see stuff not explained in the manual.
For examining the phone's processes, I recommend SystemPanel from the Market (paid for version has history), and/or Android Status.
There are people that tell you NOT to kill anything on the Android OS manually. I use 1Tap Cleaner and Advanced Task Killer from the market if I see the phone behaving a bit sluggish. Android OS loads stuff in memory readying it for future use. How it does so (intelligently) I don't know. I see stuff being partially loaded I never use. I have never had a problem using either program.
YMMV
GrooveIP works great over 3g...I dunno how much we will be able to use it once they start capping data..bastards
dcnblues said:
-What’s the best VOIP app for working with Google Voice? I've come across GrooVe IP, but would like reassurance whether it's the best option. I'd like to make calls over wifi, but I'd also like to know whether Virgin Mobile's 3g coverage is fast enough for voip (generally...). I wouldn't want to do this routinely as I'd be afraid they'd throttle me. But I would like someone who knows to share their opinion.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
GrooVe IP is actually the only thing i've bothered to use because it worked well enough, I havn't put it to test over 3g... In the future, you can root the phone and update it to sprint PRL (Their towers instead of VMU) - People have reported up to like 6-900kbps doing this... I would suggest to not factor this last suggestion in yet as you won't be extremely comfortable with your first smart phone being messed with (But a possibility nonetheless)
dcnblues said:
-How do I find out my wifi signal strength? 3G strength? GPS strength? Or even just where I can learn what the icons on the top bar stand for, and what their range is? There must be a good app for this, and I'd love a recommendation.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i will back the suggestion of wifi analyzer, it will map out locations of wifi/cellular tower, it gave me beef on another phone that ran @ 600mhz but this one is 1000mhz.
dcnblues said:
-If I wanted the option, how (specifically) would I switch from making a voip/data plan outgoing call to the regular phone cell plan? Would Android be smart enough to do this automatically without a wifi signal? Or would I need to change a setting in Google Voice? Any thoughts most appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With grooveip and google voice it will ask you on all outbound calls after you press dial: Would you like to make this call with.... A) non-Google Voice B) Google Voice (same story w/ sending an sms except it will ask when you create the sms because google voice has it's own sms application, keep in mind w/ gvoice you can forward calls to your google chat account (and that's what makes grooveip ring instead of forwarding the call to your cellular number[i think])
dcnblues said:
-How do I find what apps are running (in background?)? Percentage of system resources, and how to kill them? I’m guessing there are apps for that. Does Android kill a process when you return to home screen? What are some of the general rules?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
there are tons of application managers and task killers, I recommend to ignore all of them.... Someone brought a Samsung Prevail(Boost mobile Galaxy) into work the other day(Radioshack) - Anytime they killed tasks their touchscreen went out till reboot.... Android is supposed to self manage tasks and processes... realistically you just have to make sure not to leave your bluetooth wifi and gps on all the time... Also taking the screen brightness down a fuzz from max will help batt life tremendously... Android will suspend a process and kill an activity when you return to homescreen.... What I mean by that is that if you're in the browser and you hit home then you go back to the browser, you're on the same page still... but likely not to have any of your text still there if you were in an input field.... (This is probably an inaccurate example due to programmers being able to add a save activity state [this is something that when you for example hit back or hold the home button down to switch applications will store your current information, so when you're editing the text field it will save that data, THEN kill the activity/suspend it so that when you return it is still there, but the process is not draining the battery down at the moment.])
One of androids key attributes is the quick application switching via holding down the home button but some applications like pandora will run 'ongoing' so that you can multitask, while others will suspend so that you can save battery.... Kind of as a rule of thumb, unless it is monitoring or actively outputting it will be suspended.... so apps like pandora and wifi tethering continue to function when you switch applications because tehy'er ongoing whereas a note editor application would suspend itself untill it's brought back to focus because how are you going to type without it forefront?
dcnblues said:
-I have a mac. I’m guessing most of the programs that let you manage files, root the phone, install Cyanogen mods, etc, are PC based. I found Android File Transfer, but am not clear on it's limits. Are there better options? What will the AFT program be good for? [Emulating PC’s is a pain I would rather avoid, but I have been thinking of running virtual box to donate some processing time to the Large Hadron Collider, so I might be able to run some of these PC programs].
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First off nice LHC Mac joke I take it we're running the server edition cause hey, more is never enough.
I honestly can't tell you much from the mac POV other than that it would hopefully work the same as the linux instructions but i kind of expect version/dependency differences... to be fair this triumph is rootable by application ran on the phone (Which you can GMail to yourself and download as attatchment, bluetooth, wifi shared folder, usb mounting, or download directly to the phone..) The custom recovery is installed via drag and drop on USB Removable Disc so it's not nearly as bad as some of the other phones would be,
dcnblues said:
-Any skins or options to turn the google apps into light text on dark background? (I'm aware of and have used the option in Gmail). I hate black text on white background. I'm kooky that way.
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Feel free to, they exist, I would however suggest against them... I walk to work a lot and it's a pain in the ass to read those emails when you have the sun on the screen; granted everything is harder this was damn near impossible... Nonetheless check for the black apps listed in xda/android/themes and apps... I'll link soon. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1206774
dcnblues said:
This Android phone is good looking, the plan costs much less than a thousand a year (which I refuse to pay), and I LOVE the Google voice options to turn your text and calls into computer files which you can archive as you wish. The Google voice activation / text / search is far superior to iAnything, voip/wifi is the balls, and I think a lot people who've been holding off from getting a smartphone will jump on this combo, and this thread may help them. Many thanks...
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I would like to point out that with the GVoice extension/app for google chrome
you can continue your SMS conversations that way... I recieved one of the CR48s and this has been AWESOME for me.
As far as voip services, I have found using 3g too slow. That said I do recommend sipdroid. It will setup a pbx account for you using your google voice number. Upon connecting to wifi, sipdroid will start running allowing you to make and receive calls.
Sent from my MOTWX435KT using XDA App
Thanks guys for the very useful help. I'm kind of burned out on all the research, and kind of bummed that this red-hot, billion dollar business seems to be run by such morons. SO many unnecessary complications to offering consumers simple, workable products and services.
This has been a great help.
bigvandal said:
GrooveIP works great over 3g...I dunno how much we will be able to use it once they start capping data..bastards
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I'm actually kind of grateful to Virgin Mobile for the $35 dollar plan. I can communicate via voice to text, for a fair price, so until I have a real problem, I'm not going to call them bastards. Until I have a problem, of course...
I do hate the BS in advertising 'unlimited' plans, but having them smirking in their headquarters as they say to themselves 'but we didn't say at what rate...'
On the other hand, people downloading movies over cell frequencies aren't exactly providing solutions to the problem either...
rubbachicken said:
GrooVe IP is actually the only thing i've bothered to use because it worked well enough, I havn't put it to test over 3g... In the future, you can root the phone and update it to sprint PRL (Their towers instead of VMU) - People have reported up to like 6-900kbps doing this... I would suggest to not factor this last suggestion in yet as you won't be extremely comfortable with your first smart phone being messed with (But a possibility nonetheless)...Android is supposed to self manage tasks and processes... realistically you just have to make sure not to leave your bluetooth wifi and gps on all the time... Also taking the screen brightness down a fuzz from max will help batt life tremendously... Android will suspend a process and kill an activity when you return to homescreen....
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Dude, thanks very much. For this and all the information. Colossally useful.
Groove IP is actually having a problem today due to some change in the Google servers. Hope it's resolved soon as I'd like to get this running.
Quick confirm: Triumph is LCD and not AMOLED, Correct?
Okay, I've been looking for a good solution and haven't found one yet. I'm hoping some of the creative minds out here in the community can help me out.
I'm from the States, and I'm currently working in China. I'll be here for another 5 months or so. I'm a Nexus devotee, so I've got my Nexus 4 and my Nexus 7 here with me. The N4 goes everywhere with me, and the N7 is more of a couch/bed companion and a travel reader/movie player. I'm trying to find a good integrated messaging solution for communicating both with my colleagues and friends here in China as well as my friends and family back home.
When I first moved here, my plan was for Google Voice to be my solution. I had my cell number ported to Voice, and I have continued to use that for texts, voicemail, and VOIP calls using Groove IP. That has been a pretty handy solution, and it's nice that I can also access my messages when I'm sitting at my laptop through the Chrome extension. There are a couple of downsides to Voice though. The first is that it's kind of a clunky piece of software. It's certainly not sleek, and the syncing between devices can be a little hairy. I haven't figured out how to get a nicely functional inbox either. Google refuses to accept my China Mobile number for some reason, so I have to activate the app by using another friend's US number and then deactivating messages to her phone. Also, my friends and family members who are Apple users complain about the app being really poorly designed on Apple products. They don't actually need it of course (the reason I set it up was so my phone number would continue to work for everyone), but I can't control their end of it.
GChat/Talk is one option that I like quite a bit. It syncs really well between devices, and it's really clean and sleek. One issue I have with it is that, when my internet gets spotty at work (which is far too frequently), a message will sometimes arrive on my N7 at home, and I won't see it until I get home from work later that night. Also, once again, the Apple users hate this option because of the terrible choices on iOS.
In doing some research on some other options, I came across Kik, and I instantly fell in love. It's sleek like Talk with quick messaging, but it's more comprehensive with additional features and a better implementation of read/unread messages. I got it all set up on my N7 and was ready to tell everyone to sign up when I installed it on my N4. I looked at my N7, and I was back at the login screen. I logged in again and saw the screen pop up on my N4. The software does not support multiple devices. That's unfortunately a deal-breaker. Unless they fix that flaw, Kik is out the window.
I'm using mysms right now, and it's got potential, but I'm still not completely sure. I haven't really figured out the best settings to get it most effectively working with my China Mobile number and my Google Voice number. It's not as sleek and fast as Kik or Talk, and I've gotten some complaints from the Apple crowd about it not being very intuitive. But it does sync pretty well between devices, and I can access it easily on my Windows 7 laptop. So far, though, I'm not thrilled with it.
I would like to hear from the community any tricks with settings, additional apps to try, or other creative solutions to this. All ideas are welcome, and I'll be happy to try anything out to see how it works, so please don't be shy about any ideas. Thanks in advance for your help.
I recently got a Pixel 4a 5g and originally tried GrapheneOS and now I'm on Calyx. The issue I have is the stock texting app on either OS does not support group texting which I use a lot with my family. So I had to find a 3rd party app, found QKSMS which supports group texting.
However I don't know if this is an OS or app issue, but at random, I will get old texts back. It will basically be as if it's a new text, but it's an old conversation that just replays itself. It's super annoying and also confusing because sometimes at first I think it's a real text I just got.
Is there a way to make this stop? I'm also open to suggestions on an alternate app but it needs to be something that's in the F droid store, since I don't really want to put Google play on here as it kind of defeats the purpose of having a privacy oriented phone if I start putting apps that spy on me.
I also want to stick with SMS/MMS and not signal etc, because not everybody uses all the same chat app, but SMS is just universal. Everyone I know uses it.
Anyone else ever run into this and found a fix?
Just bumping, hoping someone has a pointer for how I can troubleshoot this?