Android Stuff

[Winnow]

I mentioned on the iPhone/iPad thread that I reserved the new Android HTC EVO phone for pick up June 4th.

Being the protector of threads and hating hijacks, I figured I make a new thread for Android.

Recap from other thread: I'm buying EVO for 500.00 without contract so I can play around with an Android device. Being extremely open minded in all things Tech, I'm giving an Android phone a chance and will switch over if I'm impressed.

EVO stats:

HTC EVO™ 4G Fact Sheet

The world’s first 3G/4G Android handset, exclusively from Sprint, HTC EVO™ 4G, offers a rich mobile Internet experience with a fully integrated suite of services built on the AndroidTM 2.1 platform. HTC EVO 4G includes a blazing-fast 1GHz Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ processor, the award-winning HTC SenseTM user experience, an 8.0 megapixel auto-focus camera with HD-capable video camcorder and a forward-facing 1.3 megapixel camera. The large vibrant 4.3 inch display, built-in kickstand, 3.5 mm headset jack and HDMI output make HTC EVO 4G an unparalleled platform for wireless entertainment. Download music, pictures, files, or videos in seconds – not minutes – and watch streaming video on the go on a network with download speeds that are up to 10 times faster than 3G speeds.1 With built-in mobile hotspot functionality, HTC EVO 4G also allows up to eight Wi-Fi-enabled devices, including laptop, camera, music player, video player and any other Wi-Fi-enabled device, to enjoy the benefits of 4G speeds on the go.

PRODUCTIVITY

* 3G/4G capability
* Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ QSD8650 (1GHz) processor
* 4.3” capacitive display with pinch-to-zoom and tactile feedback
* World-class HTML browser – bandwidth and quality that rival that of netbooks
* Android 2.1, with access to more than 30,000 apps on Android Market
* GoogleTM mobile services including Google SearchTM, Google MapsTM, Google TalkTM, GmailTM, YouTubeTM , and syncs with Google CalendarTM
* Access to Google Goggles™ to search with pictures instead of words
* Sprint Navigation, with turn-by-turn driving directions and 3D maps
* Updated HTC Sense, award-winning user experience, which includes Friend Stream to integrate Facebook, Twitter and more into a single flow of updates
* Visual voicemail
* Messaging – personal and business email, IM and text messaging
* 3G/4G Mobile Hotspot capability – connects up to eight Wi-Fi enabled devices
* 4G data speeds (WiMAX) – peak download speeds of more than 10 Mbps; peak upload speeds of 1 Mbps; average download speeds of 3-6 Mbps.
* 3G data speeds (EVDO Rev A.) – peak download speeds of up to 3.1 Mbps; peak upload speeds of 1.8 Mbps; average download speeds of 600 kbps-1.4 Mbps.

ENTERTAINMENT

* 8MP autofocus camera with dual LED flash and 1.3MP front-facing camera
* High-quality video streaming and downloads at 3G and 4G data speeds
* Capture and share HD-quality video (720p) from your phone
* Output pictures, slides and videos in HD quality (720p) via HDMI cable (sold separately)
* Live video sharing with Qik
* Built-in kickstand for hands-free viewing
* Media player with 3.5mm stereo headset jack
* FM radio and Amazon MP3 store
* Sprint applications including Sprint TV® and NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile(SM)
* Bluetooth® 2.1 with A2DP Stereo and EDR
* Built-in WiFi®: 802.11 b/g
* Digital compass, G-Sensor, proximity sensor, light sensor, GPS
* Expandable memory: 8GB microSD card included; supports up to 32GB

SPECIFICATIONS:

* Dimensions: 4.8″ x 2.6″ x .5″ (LxWxT)
* Weight: 6 ounces
* Main display: 4.3” WVGA (800×480) 65K colors
* Standard removable 1500mAh Lithium (Li-on) battery
* Memory: 1GB ROM, 512MB RAM

1 “Up to 10x faster” based on download speed comparison of 3G’s 600 kbps vs. 4G’s 6 Mbps. Industry published 3G avg. speeds (600 kbps-1.7 Mbps); 4G avg. speeds (3-6 Mbps). Actual speeds may vary. Sprint 4G currently available in over 25 markets and counting, and on select devices. See http://www.sprint.com/4G for details. Not all services available on 4G and coverage may default to 3G/separate network where 4G unavailable.

Android has come a long way in the past year. They've got 50,000 Apps now (40K of those are recordings of Miir farting)

With Froyo 2.2, it looks like Android is a solid competitor to iFag's OS.

[Winnow]

I hate to wait to try things out. Unlike Apple's iPhone OS, Android offers and pretty easy to install SDK that emulates the Android OS. They've already released the SDK for Froyo 2.2 which will be out in a few months.

Gizmodo posted this article about how to get it up and running:

http://gizmodo.com/5544988/how-to-try-a ... r-computer

besides just clicking on the "setup" instead of the Android.bat in the beginning, I followed the guide and had the Android SDK emulation up and running quickly (minus the download time) (on windows, force the http download in settings if per the popup if you get it)



You're able to set the screen resolution so I was able to set it to 480x800 so I can see exactly what my display will look like on the EVO.

Adding the Eclipse Java thingy at the end of the guide was a little more tricky but easy enough. It allows you to download Android apps off the internet.

So far I've only downloaded the iStockManager app so I can see how that will look on Android since it's a must have. Works great!

[Sargeras]

I'm surprised you haven't posted the preliminary Flash benchmarking tests.

[Ashur]

I want a Droid, but balk at the additional $60/mo in data plans. I'm still a cheapskate at heart.

[Winnow]

I'm kinda excited about Android. Google seems to have their shit together on this with frequent updates and a nice future design plan.

Google is activating 100,000 Android devices per day.

[Funkmasterr]

I've only been saying that forever. Fuck the iPhone

[valryte]

I currently use an iPhone.

I've only been saying that forever. Fuck the iPhone

Yeah, because before the iPhone we had...yeah exactly.

As much as I hate iPhone's total restrictive practices, the fact is, they changed the whole game and we owe them a lot of credit for truly pushing smart phones to the next level. Yeah, Microsoft had their windows phones, but it was mostly garbage.

But now that Google (Microsoft soon too) and companies like HTC and others are pushing the limits and making really cool phones, yeah, I say fuck Apple too I've been waiting for Android to get past version 1 to see really how far Google was going to push it and so far I like it. My friend was at the Google IO conference where they gave everyone 2 new phones, one of them an HTC EVO 4G and so far he's really liking it a lot.

[Funkmasterr]

Honestly, even though Android is still in it's relatively early stages, IMO it's far better than the iPhone OS. The only slight edge Apple still has is a some apps, but Android is making up ground on that one quick, being that it's open source and people can develop an app for it without the uncertainty of whether or not it will be "approved" for the market.

Now if T Mobile would hurry the fuck up and release one of the Nexus One type phones that were supposed to be out by now, I could get rid of this old fucking G1.

[Soreali]

I'm kinda excited about Android. Google seems to have their shit together on this with frequent updates and a nice future design plan.

Google is activating 100,000 Android devices per day.

I swear by my droid.. IMO it shits over Iphone.. And it's all open source so the OS can be tweaked to your hearts content. (I've installed four different OS mods including android 2.1 and it works like a charm). Market apps are always being updated, most of the useful ones are free anyway.. voice activated GPS is fantastic. Runs quick.

Sarg, they haven't released flash yet.. hasn't even leaked.. i've been searching

[Winnow]

For anyone wanting to view an active message board about the HTC EVO phone (or other Android Phones), this is a good board to check out. It includes the good, the bad, and the ugly about the phone:

http://androidforums.com/htc-evo-4g/

[Ashur]

So is the Motorola Droid the only Android recent model w/ a physical slide out keyboard? All the HTC ones seem to be missing that.

[Winnow]

So is the Motorola Droid the only Android recent model w/ a physical slide out keyboard? All the HTC ones seem to be missing that.

No, here's one with keyboard:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flL1WXDqTNs

Coming out beginning of June from HTC

[Soreali]

http://androidforums.com/htc-evo-4g/

Go here too. Everything you need to know about Android and the custom OS you can install on your phone(I use Simply Stunning but that'll be changing soon)

http://www.droidforums.net/forum/

[Winnow]

SlingPlayer Demonstrated on the EVO:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tq8EA7bNB60

pretty cool.

[Winnow]

Here's some pros and cons from an iPhone user that switched to EVO:

Ramblings from an iPhone convert....


Android/Evo Cons:

* No surprise...battery life isn't that great.
* Light leakage around the bottom frame. No biggie, but you'd think HTC/Sprint would of caught it during QC testing.
* The battery cover is flimsy and doesn't fit flush.
* So I finally tested 4G in the San Antonio area and the results are dismal. In most cases, 3G delivered faster results.
* HD video recording is subpar...and that's putting it nicely.
* I actually love iTunes and the simpllicity it offers. I've found that syncing media to the Evo (Android) is cumbersome.
* Market apps suck. I could care less about bikini apps or fart sound generators and if I see another asian soft core porn app I'm going to vomit.
* Lots of plastic.
* Sprint Marketing, show people what the EVO and ANDROID platform can do. The general public could care less about pixels, megabytes, 4g, blah blah.


Android/Evo Advantages:

* Good God, the screen is to die for.
* Fast as hell! 1GHZ Snapdragon
* 8 Megapixel Camera w/Autofocus and flash
* Wifi Hotspot is simple and effective. Bring on the $30 hotspot and $10 premium fees! I pay over $60/month for a 5 gig capped Verizon MIFI! The Evo Hotspot will save me over $20 a month plus I have one less device and charger to carry on trips.
* Out of the box turn by turn directions w/voice. iPhone...no.
* Google Translation (This is a free app and holy crap...it rocks! Speak a phrase and it's translated via text AND speech!)
* Speech to Text Integration (I can dictate notes, enter website addresses, perform searches, send texts and find videos on youtube by speaking.)
* Flash Lite Support
* Live Wallpapers
* YouTube HQ is slick
* Replaceable Battery
* Facebook integration (The address book allows you to link your contacts to their Facebook profiles or Flickr accounts so that the information they share with friends on those profiles - maybe their birthday, home number or private e-mail address - gets wrapped into the contacts card.)
* Widgets! (I love the bookmarks, calendar and friends feed widgets!)
* That little thing called multi-tasking.
* HDMI
* Kickstand! Sounds like a cheesy feature, but it actually comes in handy!
* Voice Search (Click the app, say what you're looking for).
* Say what you will about the Sprint apps, but I love em! They provide news channels for me, Bravo for the wife and Nickelodeon to keep my kids entertained.
* I love the having the ability to return an app to the Market store for a full refund!
* Amazon MP3 store (EVO).


I love Apple products, hell I'm a self professed fanboy, but there is no denying the Evo. I was skeptical, but after using it for a few days I can honestly say this is one of the best phones that I've owned. I'm sure the new iPhone will be a slick device, but the Evo does what I want at a price point that puts a smile on my face.

Of his concerns, mine are mostly of the App store and Podcast syncing.

After hearing about Doubletwist though that shouldnt be a problem:

http://www.doubletwist.com/dt/Home/Index.dt

Doubletwist will sync iTunes libraries to Android (and other non Apple phones) easily as well as provide its own podcast directory, etc. Looks like iTunes as well for the insecure Apple user.

As for the appstore. The Android App store has been making progress and I'm sure will continue to do so. It's more cluttered because there are no restrictions, hence, pr0n apps, etc. I can live with that.

Appbrain is the place to go anyway if you're researching Android apps:

http://www.appbrain.com/

---------------------------------

Someone already rooted the EVO so you can install Android 2.2 Froyo if you can live without the HTC sense...you can turn off HTC sense on the EVO's 2.1 right now if you want.

http://thegadgets.net/technology-news/b ... tc-evo-4g/


Looking forward to getting my EVO next Friday and then wait and see how the iPhone HD shapes up the week after.

----

Browser loading speed comparison between iPad and EVO:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-7-l3TwqhA

note: this is before Android 2.2 goes on the EVO which is 4-5 times faster than 2.1 (that's not real world but it is a lot faster than 2.1) I fraking (miss BSG) love my iPad and it's performance so this is good news.

[Funkmasterr]

I just don't get it. iPods/MP3 players are for music, not phones.

Also, I don't just "browse" for apps. If I want a app, I know specifically what kind of app I want, I search for it on the marketplace, and I download the highest rated one. It's pretty simple.

I also don't get the infatuation with installing custom OS's. The one that comes on any Android phone is just fine. I just won't buy a Android phone that isn't like the G1 or Nexus One, with no added shit to the OS by the people that make it, just plain Android - so delay on getting OS updates OTA isn't a concern.

[Winnow]

I also don't get the infatuation with installing custom OS's. The one that comes on any Android phone is just fine. I just won't buy a Android phone that isn't like the G1 or Nexus One, with no added shit to the OS by the people that make it, just plain Android - so delay on getting OS updates OTA isn't a concern.

Then you fail because you could have a nicer phone and simply root it and put on stock (generic) Android 2.2 (Froyo). Instead you put up with whatever OS you're given....talk to the Behold owners. They got stuck with Android 1.5.

I don't get why you don't use Apple products if you want to be so low maintenance.

[Winnow]

Anyone familiar with Swype Text entry?

Looks pretty cool. Available on Android phones:

http://blip.tv/file/1372407

Here's a shorter example of that it's all about:

http://news.cnet.com/1606-2_3-50003669.html

[Soreali]

I just don't get it. iPods/MP3 players are for music, not phones.

Also, I don't just "browse" for apps. If I want a app, I know specifically what kind of app I want, I search for it on the marketplace, and I download the highest rated one. It's pretty simple.

I also don't get the infatuation with installing custom OS's. The one that comes on any Android phone is just fine. I just won't buy a Android phone that isn't like the G1 or Nexus One, with no added shit to the OS by the people that make it, just plain Android - so delay on getting OS updates OTA isn't a concern.

Then get a blackberry. Because you obviously do not wish to use the phone for to its full potential. You'd be amazed how many useful apps I've found by just "browsing" when i'm killing time at work. Not to mention the fact that I use my Droid when I work out because I can run Pandora on it.

As for installing custom OS's, theres a lot of things that are running in the background that you dont know about. Installing a custom OS removes most of them and also allows you to make different theme modifications, remove certain apps (Amazon Mp3 Store and Corporate Calander for example).

Anyone familiar with Swype Text entry?

It works well, just takes some getting used to.

[Chidoro]

I want a Droid, but balk at the additional $60/mo in data plans. I'm still a cheapskate at heart.

Same here. I'd like to get a Droid Incredible but the monthly charge just isn't worth it yet. Currently have a 700 minute no data or text family plan for four phones total. We get a 23% discount from my company so we pay about $ 77 a month. Just to have a fancy toy to putz around with would cost another $23 per month. Can't see justifying a 30% increase for a toy that i will never really tap into just yet.

Hell, even Verizon calls my old 4 1/2 year old phone a multimedia phone (LG vx8300's spiritual successor vx8360). If I was to replace my phone with the 8360, I'd have to pay a $10 per month data plan of 25 megs a month. Just a ridiculous waste imo so I'm stuck with a durable but antiquated phone with a battery that's approaching it's death.

[Winnow]

Same here. I'd like to get a Droid Incredible but the monthly charge just isn't worth it yet. Currently have a 700 minute no data or text family plan for four phones total. We get a 23% discount from my company so we pay about $ 77 a month. Just to have a fancy toy to putz around with would cost another $23 per month. Can't see justifying a 30% increase for a toy that i will never really tap into just yet.

Hell, even Verizon calls my old 4 1/2 year old phone a multimedia phone (LG vx8300's spiritual successor vx8360). If I was to replace my phone with the 8360, I'd have to pay a $10 per month data plan of 25 megs a month. Just a ridiculous waste imo so I'm stuck with a durable but antiquated phone with a battery that's approaching it's death.

Jeeze man, live a little!

Even the iPhone is only 79.00/month (now you can even knock 15.00/month off of that with AT&T's new rate plans as long as you use less than 200mb/month) You could probably swing $2.00/month to have something actually useful as a multimedia phone.

http://money.cnn.com/2010/06/02/technol ... hone_ipad/

[Funkmasterr]

I just don't get it. iPods/MP3 players are for music, not phones.

Also, I don't just "browse" for apps. If I want a app, I know specifically what kind of app I want, I search for it on the marketplace, and I download the highest rated one. It's pretty simple.

I also don't get the infatuation with installing custom OS's. The one that comes on any Android phone is just fine. I just won't buy a Android phone that isn't like the G1 or Nexus One, with no added shit to the OS by the people that make it, just plain Android - so delay on getting OS updates OTA isn't a concern.

Then get a blackberry. Because you obviously do not wish to use the phone for to its full potential. You'd be amazed how many useful apps I've found by just "browsing" when i'm killing time at work. Not to mention the fact that I use my Droid when I work out because I can run Pandora on it.

As for installing custom OS's, theres a lot of things that are running in the background that you dont know about. Installing a custom OS removes most of them and also allows you to make different theme modifications, remove certain apps (Amazon Mp3 Store and Corporate Calander for example).

Anyone familiar with Swype Text entry?

It works well, just takes some getting used to.

I like Android because it's open source, which actually gives developers a lot more reason to put time into apps for it. I also like how the default OS works. I barely have issues with my G1 being slow and it's several years old, so removing shit that the OS is running doesn't seem to benefit me.

Saying that because I don't want to install a different OS on the phone than what it was shipped with, effectively opting out of any OTA updates that are likely much more useful and refined means that I'm not using the phone to it's full potential and such is retarded.

And I have like 40k songs on my computer. I don't need Pandora, and I don't need another MP3 player. That doesn't mean I can't be a fan of Android phones, I just don't get peoples preoccupation with constantly having to fuck with everything electronic they get, it's retarded imo. I do enough programming and fucking around at work, I don't need to go home and do more.

Edit: THe first while I had my phone I found apps I thought were useful too, reality is though I rarely, if ever used them. Most of that shit is more of a "look what my phone can do" thing than anything else.

[Winnow]

I like Android because it's open source, which actually gives developers a lot more reason to put time into apps for it. I also like how the default OS works. I barely have issues with my G1 being slow and it's several years old, so removing shit that the OS is running doesn't seem to benefit me.

Android apps are crap because the Android store is crap. The incentive for developers is to develop for the iPhone OS because the iTunes stores is a goldmine for them. If google can get its shit together and improve the Android App store, they may compete and the apps may improve...until then, even if I hated Apple (which I mostly do), I'd choose to create a pay app for the iPhone over Android.

And if you're not seeing the value in various apps, I can see why an old generation of an OS is OK for you. If you don't notice the speed difference in next gen phones (the iPhone 3G is hella sluggish compared to 3GS and even more so compared to the upcoming iPhone 4).

[Animalor]

I like Android because it's open source, which actually gives developers a lot more reason to put time into apps for it. I also like how the default OS works. I barely have issues with my G1 being slow and it's several years old, so removing shit that the OS is running doesn't seem to benefit me.

Android apps are crap because the Android store is crap. The incentive for developers is to develop for the iPhone OS because the iTunes stores is a goldmine for them. If google can get its shit together and improve the Android App store, they may compete and the apps may improve...until then, even if I hated Apple (which I mostly do), I'd choose to create a pay app for the iPhone over Android.

And if you're not seeing the value in various apps, I can see why an old generation of an OS is OK for you. If you don't notice the speed difference in next gen phones (the iPhone 3G is hella sluggish compared to 3GS and even more so compared to the upcoming iPhone 4).

[Chidoro]

Same here. I'd like to get a Droid Incredible but the monthly charge just isn't worth it yet. Currently have a 700 minute no data or text family plan for four phones total. We get a 23% discount from my company so we pay about $ 77 a month. Just to have a fancy toy to putz around with would cost another $23 per month. Can't see justifying a 30% increase for a toy that i will never really tap into just yet.

Hell, even Verizon calls my old 4 1/2 year old phone a multimedia phone (LG vx8300's spiritual successor vx8360). If I was to replace my phone with the 8360, I'd have to pay a $10 per month data plan of 25 megs a month. Just a ridiculous waste imo so I'm stuck with a durable but antiquated phone with a battery that's approaching it's death.

Jeeze man, live a little!

Even the iPhone is only 79.00/month (now you can even knock 15.00/month off of that with AT&T's new rate plans as long as you use less than 200mb/month) You could probably swing $2.00/month to have something actually useful as a multimedia phone.

http://money.cnn.com/2010/06/02/technol ... hone_ipad/

Verizon has no peer in the NJ/NY area.

The $77 is not for one phone, it's for four phones. It isn't $2 a month increase to get one phone at $79 per. And we live, it's just that each month our mortgage + property taxes + pre-school = more than $5,400 a month. We throw down 65k a year after taxes before food, water, electricity, cable/internet, etc. are even in the picture. A data plan for one phone increasing the amount for four phones by 30% is a bit much.
Oh well, old phones it shall remain until my girl is in school full time I imagine.

[Winnow]

OK Chidoro, you're excused from the discussion : )

[Aabidano]

Android apps are crap because the Android store is crap. The incentive for developers is to develop for the iPhone OS because the iTunes stores is a goldmine for them. If google can get its shit together and improve the Android App store, they may compete and the apps may improve...until then, even if I hated Apple (which I mostly do), I'd choose to create a pay app for the iPhone over Android.

Just keep reminding yourself Google == WalMart or MS from a business perspective. While the first couple nights might be fun once you get in bed with them you're screwed. They will shaft anyone in pursuit of a dollar or even a minor business advantage.

[Funkmasterr]

I like Android because it's open source, which actually gives developers a lot more reason to put time into apps for it. I also like how the default OS works. I barely have issues with my G1 being slow and it's several years old, so removing shit that the OS is running doesn't seem to benefit me.

Android apps are crap because the Android store is crap. The incentive for developers is to develop for the iPhone OS because the iTunes stores is a goldmine for them. If google can get its shit together and improve the Android App store, they may compete and the apps may improve...until then, even if I hated Apple (which I mostly do), I'd choose to create a pay app for the iPhone over Android.

And if you're not seeing the value in various apps, I can see why an old generation of an OS is OK for you. If you don't notice the speed difference in next gen phones (the iPhone 3G is hella sluggish compared to 3GS and even more so compared to the upcoming iPhone 4).

There are just as many crap apps on the iPhone, that's why there are reviews and ratings so you can sort through them that way. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the market.

And I'm not saying I don't notice the speed difference, just that it's not that relevant unless you are going to be running a half dozen widgets and a handful of apps at the same time, which is totally unnecessary. That and you get something like taskkiller so that shit that doesn't need to be running all the time isn't.

I would like to get a newer version of the OS and one of the quicker snapdragon processors, but I will wait for a phone that is sold through T Mobile. Reason being paying 500 dollars at once for a phone makes me feel kinda like a retard, so I'd rather put it on my bill and pay it over 20 months interest free like they will let you do.

[Winnow]

Got my EVO. Already rooted it. Enjoying it so far. Screen is huge but fits well in your hand.

For anyone that wants to root their EVO. Here's the clearest instructions I found.

PC36IMG.zip

evorecovery

Supersonic_1.32.651.1

1 Get the files using the links provided. Now copy over PC36IMG.zip to your sdcard on your EVO
2 Turn your Phone off
3 Hold VOL DOWN and continue holdint while turning the phone on. When the white screen comes on you can let go.
4 The phone will check the .zip file and run automatically. At two points it will ask for user input. Say yes both times by pressing VOL UP as directed on the screen.
5 Saying YES the second time will reboot your phone. Yay you're rooted. But you won't have superuser access with this rom. Therefore:
6 As soon as you are able after booting change the name of PC36IMG.zip to something else. Developers suggest "root-PC36IMG." Which is what I did (I renamed through mounting the disc drive via windows)
7 Now power your phone down and reboot holding volume down again. This time your phone will try to load something and fail (at least it did in my case)
8 It will provide you with options. Use the volume keys to navigate to "RECOVERY" and use the power button to accept
9 Your phone will display "HTC EVO 4G" then turn to a black screen with an exclaimation point in a triangle.
10 Connect your phone to your computer. In the evo-recovery files you downloaded, run recovery-windows.bat as administrator (by right clicking and choosing the option)
11 A command prompt will pop up and stream files to your phone. This in turn will enable options on your phone.
12 go to backup/restore using the same navigating you have been.
13 Choose nand backup and then confirm. This backs up your NAND in case you EFF things up. It will be stored in a folder on your SD card as NANDROID. be sure to keep a copy safe somewhere.
14 when its done return to the main system recovery menu and enable "USB-MS" which will mount your SD card. Copy over your Supersonic_1.32.651.1_rooted.zip courtesy of Flipz to the root of your SD and then untoggle "USB-MS"
15 Now navigate to "Wipe" in the recovery menu
16 navigate to 'Wipe data/factory reset" and confirm the selection
17 navigate to "Davlik-cashe" and wipe that as well
18 return to recovery main menu and choose "flash zip from sdcard"
19 Choose Supersonic_1.32.651.1_rooted.zip or the rooted rom of your choice and let it install. Choose to reboot your phone. (IF YOU SKIP STEPS 16 AND 17 YOU WILL BE STUCK IN AN INFINITE BOOT AFTER INSTALLING THE ROOTED ROM. This can be remedied by returning to recovery mode (after pulling your batery to stop the loop) and following steps 16 and 17)
20. Superuser access is now available.

So far, the hardware is awesome. Not so impressed with the apps!

[Soreali]

Winnow if you're interested in putting a custom rom on it now that you have it rooted use this one:

http://www.droidforums.net/forum/bugles ... 1-1-a.html

Just flashed to this on Friday and it's the best one I've had so far. Runs flawlessly and quick. I OC'd my droid to 1gig and it runs like a charm. Also download and install mobile defense on it but install it as a system app.. http://www.mobiledefense.com

Any other ideas you're looking for on apps let me know.

[Winnow]

My Android experiment is over for a little while.

I returned my EVO due to severe flashlighting (light streaking across the screen from the bottom). Radio Shack (and other stores) are completely sold out with waiting lists so I couldn't exchange it.

Thoughts:

-EVO build quality is kinda crappy. Besides the major defect which caused me to return it. The back cover didn't fit well either.

-minus the defects, the EVO looks outstanding. If you get one without defects you'll be happy.

-Android 2.1 is OK. HTC Sense is OK. Android 2.2 looks to be a desirable upgade.

-Android apps are light years behind Apple Apps. I'm not talking fart apps. I'm talking about the exact same app on both phones. my iStockmanager app had the same functions on both phones but the Apple version is smoother and clearer with much better color scheme compared to the Android.

-Dolphin HD Web Browser (free) for Android kicks ass. While Apple rules in the pinch/zoom area and has the best double tap to expand text colums to full screen, Android/Dolphin's version is pretty good as well although it re-formats test fields a bit instead of perfect zoom-ons.

-multimedia management comes no where near Apple's iTunes. It's functional and there are various apps to help, but it's not the carefree experience you would like on a cell phone.

-4.3 inch screen rocks. I think iPhone 4's Retina Display will look amazing but I wish they had made the actual screen size larger than 3.5 inches. I'll be getting the new iPhone for sure but will miss the size of the EVO's screen.

-Android shows lots of promise. I won't knock it like I so other linux based crap. It has a lot of potential although it still has a lot of polishing to do before it's as brainlessly simple to use as an iPhone which is what people should want in a portable device...plug and play awesomeness. I rooted my EVO and played around with stock Android. The Android App store is a joke atm but I'm sure it will improve, as will the crashes and battery draining multitasking issues Android has.

----

I could certainly live with one of the new Android flagship phones and may pick up Samsung's Galaxy if the build quality is better than the EVO. Besides the irritating light beam defect, I'd be happy using the EVO as my primary phone if Apple's iPhone didn't exist.

I'm really hating my Apple 3G atm. It's god awful slow. (yes, god is awful). A two generation leap to the iPhone 4 should cure that.

You won't see me hating on Android like I do Sony, Nintendo and liberal pussies. At some point, probably within a year, I'll be making the switch to that platform.

[Soreali]

Going to attempt to respond to your post point by point, I just hate doing the whole quoting line by line thing.

Build quality - I bought the first gen Moto Droid and had the same problem.. Battery door wouldn't stay on.. lost my phone (and recovered it in grand central station, NYC!) my replacement fixed that issue.. Second generation always better than the first.

Standard 2.1 is ok.. Modded 2.1 is fantastic. Android 2.2 isn't really much different, just has full flash support which in itself kicks ass. Just have to wait for Hulu to stop blocking android phones.. Once it's modded I'm sure 2.2 will kick ass too.

Apps - Main reason it was running better on your Iphone was more than likely because it was the only thing running on your Iphone. One pet peeve I found with Android (Which can be fixed) is a lot of programs will run in the background even if you dont open them. Most of them I nuked from my phone and haven't had the problem since.

Dolphin Browser - Pretty much spot on there

Multimedia - can't really debate this one too much, I use it to play music and it does that just fine so I have no issues.

When you get your Evo back, root the sucker again and find yourself a good android mod. I recommend the Bugless Beast mod.

[Canelek]

Hmmm. Seems like it still needs some more work to get it to live up to its potential.

I'll grab up iPhone4 later this month and see what HTC comes up with next (plus, I am locked into ATT).

[Soreali]

Hmmm. Seems like it still needs some more work to get it to live up to its potential.

I'll grab up iPhone4 later this month and see what HTC comes up with next (plus, I am locked into ATT).

Thats the reason why I'm liking it so much, since all the code is open source people have their way with it. I mess around with my and flash it all the time with new roms to test them out and they're getting better and better. The one I use now just made a new rom for 2.2 that i'll be flashing to my droid tomorrow to test out.

But yes, being locked to AT&T sucks.. wouldn't go getting that Iphone4 though!

[Canelek]

I'm totally for the open-source, so to speak, phone. I hope the Android/HTC/w/e does awesome. I am no fanboi for a specific brand, but I do have no issue getting the new iPhone this month, especially since I am elligible for "upgrade". I like my iPhone and look forward to more competition to not only drive prices down, but to promote advancements in both hardware and software.

[Winnow]

One thing I do realize now is that build quality is important in a phone.


The iPhone build quality is amazing and it's very apparent how much time they put into it. If you take the time to watch the (long) WWDC Keynote Presentation about the iPhone you'll see why it's important.

http://events.apple.com.edgesuite.net/1 ... index.html

The photos and 720p 30fps video also looks impressive from the new iPhone 4. It's not just about megapixels.

Apple really does have the entire package. Display/Speed/Apps/Video/Build Quality

Where Android is making inroads are the places I'm least concerned with on a portable device, especially with a jailbroken iPhone. I do hope Android keeps improving because there are some things about that OS I like better.

Here's a 5 mins video on the iPhone 4 if you don' t have time for a few hours of Steve Jobs above:

http://www.apple.com/iphone/design/#design-video

skip past the hype!

[Aabidano]

Malware embedded into legitimate-looking games designed for Windows Mobile has appeared, automatically dialing up foreign telephone services to ring up hundreds of dollars in illicit charges for users behind their backs. Expect to see it for Android too.

The parts from Apple are propaganda to some extent, though at least someone is watching the store in Apple's case. Assuming you're running "legitimate" software anyway. Bottom line is that Smartphone malware is becoming more common and is potentially very expensive for the consumer. Unlike common malware there's a certain and immediate profit to be made by the perpetrators.

Just the fact that Apple has a real security policy in place for iPhone mobile software in its iTunes App Store serves as a strong deterrent for rogue developers from even attempting to distribute malicious iPhone OS software like the tainted games discovered for Windows Mobile.

Jim Finkle, writing for Reuters, claimed that "hackers are increasingly targeting smartphone users as sales of the sophisticated mobile devices have soared with the success of Apple Inc's iPhone and Google Inc's Android operating system," but in reality, any attacks aimed at iPhone users are not software based expressly because of Apple's strict security policy, and must be limited to social engineering exploits that prey upon people directly, rather than infecting their devices with malware.

Android users (just like Mac and Windows users) have no similar security protection in place, and should be very careful about downloading software, even from legitimate appearing websites. Unlike desktop malware, which is somewhat limited in the scope of damage it can cause, mobile malware has the ability to rapidly run up very expensive mobile bills for weeks before the user is likely to even notice a problem.

http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/10 ... obile.html

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6535TS20100604

Toll fraud in general has been a huge business globally for years, most telcos have large business units assigned to preventing it.

[Animalor]

So old version of the now discontinued (but still supported) WinMo is affected. Windows Phone will have code signing rules as well as a similar architecture as Apple in place to prevent stuff like this going forward.

Android is using a LOT from Microsoft's Windows business model (without the pay per licensing model) and is bound to have a lot of the old problems that come with that as well.

[Aabidano]

I think the whole point is folks are downloading and running software from unknown sources on a device that unlike a PC connection, can cost them real money very quickly without having to do anything. Other than install the "look at Britney's boobs" app of the week of course. Or "This OS image is 100x faster and doesn't force you to use Google's store! Free stuff!"

This is reminiscent of the dialer programs of 10-15 years ago. I'm sure the contract language form the telcos has been beefed up to make sure the user is liable for charges when they've made unauthorized changes.

The usual suspects in Eastern Europe are going to have a field day, they don't even have to go to the effort of stealing credit, bank or other billing information.

Code signing doesn't mean much when you've downloaded code into your phone that's intended to subvert the signing process. You've got to have a secure\trusted base of some sort for it to be useful. A trojaned SDK is a wonderful thing. The developers don't even have to know they're shipping exploit code.

[Ashur]

Same here. I'd like to get a Droid Incredible but the monthly charge just isn't worth it yet. Currently have a 700 minute no data or text family plan for four phones total. We get a 23% discount from my company so we pay about $ 77 a month. Just to have a fancy toy to putz around with would cost another $23 per month. Can't see justifying a 30% increase for a toy that i will never really tap into just yet.

Hell, even Verizon calls my old 4 1/2 year old phone a multimedia phone (LG vx8300's spiritual successor vx8360). If I was to replace my phone with the 8360, I'd have to pay a $10 per month data plan of 25 megs a month. Just a ridiculous waste imo so I'm stuck with a durable but antiquated phone with a battery that's approaching it's death.

Jeeze man, live a little!

Even the iPhone is only 79.00/month (now you can even knock 15.00/month off of that with AT&T's new rate plans as long as you use less than 200mb/month) You could probably swing $2.00/month to have something actually useful as a multimedia phone.

http://money.cnn.com/2010/06/02/technol ... hone_ipad/

He's quoting the price for 4 phones there Winnow and you're throwing him back the one phone rate as the difference - it isn't. I have the same issue. I pay about the same as Chidoro for just me and the wife (the difference is the texting plan to support her horrendous texting habit). If I get a smart phone, she gets a smart phone. Up front costs aside I need to add two data plans to what I'm paying now and even w/ my sweet work discount on my plans, that's still $50ish more than I'm paying now.

Maybe if Congress doesn't decide to tax the shit out of my "fatcat wall street" bonus (I work in Ohio in IT fuckers!) next year and I finish paying off my basement. Maybe!

[Xatrei]

Swype has the beta of their product available for free download for a limited time. I'm using it to enter this message, and am really loving it so far. It's taking some getting used to, but this rocks!

[Soreali]

Swype has the beta of their product available for free download for a limited time. I'm using it to enter this message, and am really loving it so far. It's taking some getting used to, but this rocks!

I finally caved and tried it.. this thing is awesome!

[Xatrei]

It is by far the best text entry method that I've used for a PDA or smart phone. I'm hooked.