droidStory » Misc

Google Nexus One All Done

sm — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 18:35:50 +0000

As previously posted, Google is discontinuing the Nexus One. Well, it only took a couple of days before the remaining stock was depleted. Incidentally, I just sold my N1 on eBay, since I have now moved on to the Motorola DroidX. The Nexus One was/is a great phone and surely helped pave the way for the rapid growth of Android.

First OTA Update for DroidX

sm — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 22:17:01 +0000

DroidX users got their first OTA update pushed to them this morning. If you have not gotten the update notification yet, you can easily check manually via:

Home Screen -> Settings -> About Phone -> System Upgrades

The changes seem all minor and frankly not very exciting (“cleaner looking status bar for GPS symbol”… seriously!) . I’m also not a big fan of Verizon pre-loading apps, which can quickly turn into a crap-ware nightmare of useless apps that are difficult or impossible to uninstall. Let’s hope Android 2.2 (Froyo) makes it quickly onto the DroidX. I’m already missing the application bulk/auto update function I had with Froyo on my N1.

Improvements:

Improved battery charging status indicator.
Smoother transition for camera and camcorder functions.
Redesign of weather widget icons.
Faster Exchange ActiveSync® email loading.
Streamlined organization of newly downloaded applications.
Organized favorite contacts by call count.
Updated Bluetooth® connection for enhanced video sharing experience.
Coordinated date and time across phone displays.
Cleaner looking status bar for GPS symbol.
Improved sync capabilities for 3G Mobile Hotspot.
Faster Visual Voice Mail loading.

Enhancements:

Take advantage of the enhanced, preloaded My Verizon application.
Preloaded Amazon Kindle® application lets you read Kindle books on your Android™ phone, including thousands of free books.

Verizon Launches DroidX Viral Marketing Campaign

sm — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 00:42:51 +0000

Over the last couple of weeks there were a number of hints that Verizon is working on an extensive marketing campaign for the DroidX release similar to the launch of the original Droid.

Of course there was the cool first DroidX TV commercial, followed by a DroidX YouTube video and now a Twitter based DroidX Scavenger Hunt is beginning today.

During the Promotion Period, there will be a Scavenger Hunt, where 21 Certificates for a free Droid Phone will be hidden across the country. Clues as to where the 21 Droid Certificates (“Certificates”) will be hidden will be tweeted on a regular basis from @DroidLanding. To view the tweets, visit http://www.twitter.com/droidlanding. Dates and times of Certificate placement will vary, but the final clue of each GPS location for each Certificate will be tweeted at the time it is hidden.

Android 2.2 is Official for the Nexus One

sm — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 17:56:45 +0000

As it turns out FRF83 still wasn’t the final release build of Android 2.2 (Froyo). Google has now announced the official availability of Android 2.2 on the NexusOne blog.

Starting today, Nexus One users will begin to receive the Android 2.2 (codenamed Froyo) over-the-air software update on their phones. This update provides some great new features including support for making your handset a portable hotspot and support for Adobe Flash within the browser.

If you can’t wait for the OTA update, you can get the latest FRF85B build directly from Google FRF91 build directly from Google and use the upgrade instructions found in some of the previous posts.

Android 2.2 Froyo OTA Update for Nexus One?

sm — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 11:52:15 +0000

Some Nexus One users are reporting that they’ve received the OTA Update of Android 2.2 Build FRF83. I’m a bit skeptical about the OTA, but you can download the latest build, which is rumored to should be the official 2.2 release here:

FRF72 –> FRF83
http://android.clients.google.com/packages/passion/signed-passion-FRF83-from-FRF72.684bd56a.zip

FRF50 –> FRF83
http://android.clients.google.com/packages/passion/signed-passion-FRF83-from-FRF50.38d66b26.zip

You know the drill, or check this post on how to perform the update.

I didn’t see any noticeable differences to the prior build, but had to reinstall Swype to get it working after the update.

Swype Beta for Android is OPEN AGAIN!

sm — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 16:37:24 +0000

First things first! It looks like the Swype Beta registration is currently open again. Hurry over to http://beta.swype.com/ and see if you can grab the Android Beta version.

I admit it, I got totally hooked after installing an early Beta of Swype that was leaked a few months ago. Even though that version had some kinks and was not quite working on my Nexus One, it was such a huge improvement over the default Android keyboard. Then, without warning, Swype pulled the plug and all unauthorized versions in the wild stopped working. Bummer!

I registered for the closed Beta, but no luck until last week when I received my own Beta invite.

Yes – score!

If you have not heard of Swype, you may want to check out the video below. You’ll never want to go back to pecking your emails and text messages on the regular keyboard once you’ve experienced Swype. It does take a little practice, but swyping your words becomes very natural quickly.

Incredible Unboxing and Disassembly of the Droid Incredible

sm — Wed, 05 May 2010 21:30:28 +0000

These unboxing videos are getting better and better. Kudos to the guys at TechRestore.

Game Over for Nexus One 3G Fix?

sm — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 13:52:16 +0000

This blog and many others have covered the prevailing 3G problems with the Nexus One. Just to recap, the Nexus One is having trouble holding onto a 3G signal reliably, unless the signal is really strong (>-70dBm). The problem is exacerbated by holding the phone, well – like a regular cell phone, with the back resting in the palm of your hand while surfing the web or making a call.

There have been endless threads on the Google support forums, numerous YouTube videos, and even the big gadget blogs picked up on the issue. Personally, I always attributed the problem to poor hardware design that is un-fixable without a redesign and recall of the existing handsets. Others put much hope into a software update. The first OTA update however didn’t do much good other than moving the signal threshold to delay the 3G – Edge flip-flopping.

In recent days the rumor mill on the web spun-up again with news about another imminent update. After months of deafening silence from Google on this issue, finally “Ry Guy” from Google chimes in to crush any speculation. According to Google this is a non-issue:

Hey guys,

I’ve seen some recent speculation on this thread about an OTA to improve 3G connectivity and I want to give you an update on the situation.

While we are continuing to monitor user feedback regarding the 3G performance on the Nexus One, we are no longer investigating further engineering improvements at this time.

If you are still experiencing 3G issues, we recommend that you try changing your location or even the orientation of your phone, as this may help in areas with weaker coverage.

-Ry Guy

So if you are the lucky owner of a Nexus One superphone and still experience problems with 3G connectivity, just move somewhere else or learn how to hold the phone properly!

Lates ComScore: Android Is Gaining Fast

sm — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 21:50:37 +0000

No wonder Apple is getting more aggressive in trying to protect its turf. The latest quarterly report provided by digital metrics company ComScore shows a sizable increase in Android’s mobile market share. While the Google Mobile OS still dwarfs compared to RIM and Apple in overall market share, its momentum is impressive. This trend is unlikely to slow down anytime soon, given the incredible number of new Android handsets being released this Spring.

Android increased 4.3% to capture 7.1% of the market, while RIM had a small growth spurt of 1.7% from the previous quarter, but enough to maintain its sizable lead over Apple, which came in flat at 25.1%.

At this point anybody’s gain is coming clearly at the expense of WinMo and Palm.

Verizon Offering Free Smartphone Classes

sm — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 19:22:03 +0000

The new “Superphones” can be overwhelming. In a shrewd move to prevent customer dissatisfaction and to reduce the call load of their customer care centers, Big Red is offering free classroom-style training for Verizon Wireless customers on the new Motorola DROID, Palm Pre Plus and other Smartphones. Even if you don’t currently own a smartphone, you are welcome to attend a class to learn more about the capabilities and differences of the phones offered by Verizon.

Check with your local Verizon Wireless store for schedules.

Attendees can learn about a variety of topics, including how to:

Text message

Set up speed-dial

Synch with an address book

Send e-mail

Browse the Internet

Use the camera

Use Bluetooth and other accessories

Change the ringtone

Registration is not required. Customers who do not yet have an advanced device but would like to learn more about these devices are also welcome to attend.

Customers who are unable to attend an in-store event can attend an Internet-based instructional class to learn about their new device at www.verizonwireless.com/learning.