Android phones: Tips, tricks?

[Santilli]

Striker: I get that part, and have found instructions, but, they aren't crystal clear.

The Mobile Manager software has an icon. If you click on it, you download, and install the program, which also installs a bit of malware. It then tells you it has detected malware, and, you have to pay them to have it removed. The company that writes this crap is related to the company that makes the malware. The CEO's went to school together.

There are a couple other programs icons with a similar setup, and similar crap.

 

[Santilli]

T Mobile support won't comment on the crap. Also, Tmobile charges minutes for using MY WIFI, while I'm getting charged for data from Astound. Unless I'm downloading programing stuff, which I'll only do at home, I'll NEVER use my wifi at home. I hope, one of these days, that company that charges 20 bucks unlimited comes through.

 

[sdbardwick]

Also, Tmobile charges minutes for using MY WIFI, while I'm getting charged for data from Astound.

I'm confused; do you believe the phone is routing voice calls over WiFi?

 

[Santilli]

Yes, if you have a wifi enabled phone, and a wireless router,Tmobile routes your phone calls over your internet connection. They explained that that feature is for people with poor reception, etc.

But as you can see by Republic, it's a way for Tmobile to get free access to your internet connection, and take the load off their wireless network.

http://republicwireless.com/catch

It clearly says on the phone: Wifi Calling, and has a status icon to enable or disable it.

Why not pass on the cost to whoever has a wireless network? Peets, Starbucks, etc.?
The home user?
s
Originally I believe that was a free feature, it did not charge against your minutes to use your WIFI connection, or data plan.

 

[Santilli]

Using the Wifi connection is still effective for downloads.

It would also be useful if I can get Skype setup on my GF's computer again.

Maybe after Christmas.

 

[LunarMist]

Yes, if you have a wifi enabled phone, and a wireless router,Tmobile routes your phone calls over your internet connection. They explained that that feature is for people with poor reception, etc.

But as you can see by Republic, it's a way for Tmobile to get free access to your internet connection, and take the load off their wireless network.

http://republicwireless.com/catch

It clearly says on the phone: Wifi Calling, and has a status icon to enable or disable it.

Why not pass on the cost to whoever has a wireless network? Peets, Starbucks, etc.?
The home user?
s
Originally I believe that was a free feature, it did not charge against your minutes to use your WIFI connection, or data plan.

I don't see how the phone can connect to a secured wireless home network without the password. You should be able to turn off the WI-FI or set it up differently to avoid that.

 

[LunarMist]

So now I have the androgynous phone also. The virtual keyboard concept rather sucks for those with stubby fingers. The Blackberry was easier to use and the battery lasted far longer.

 

[Santilli]

Once the phone has the password, already entered, when you hit the icon it autoconnects to my router.

It also picks up other wifi networks, no problems.

 

[Will Rickards]

So I flashed CM7 on my HTC Evo. It didn't last long. I went back to the HTC rom.

 

[LunarMist]

Once the phone has the password, already entered, when you hit the icon it autoconnects to my router.

It also picks up other wifi networks, no problems.

So why are you complaining if it is your doing? I am the only one for which this makes little sense?

 

[Stereodude]

I'm pretty sure he's complaining that they're still dinging him on the minutes even though he's not using their network.

 

[Santilli]

EXACTLY.

After advertizing that Wifi was free, as well.

 

[DrunkenBastard]

EXACTLY.

After advertizing that Wifi was free, as well.

A quick search would seem to indicate:

"the free wifi calling is available on certain plans. but you can use wifi calling on other plans, it just deducts mintutes as normal calls"

And you may need to contact Tmobile to make sure free wifi calling is turned on for your account (sounds like your particular plan may not support free wifi minutes in any case).

http://support.t-mobile.com/message/56699

 

[MaxBurn]

Exactly the type of small print that infuriates all and sucks money of your pockets. Does not lead to customer satisfaction or trust in the carrier.

 

[Handruin]

Most phone carriers give you 30-days. Return it and move on.

 

[Santilli]

On to what?
Verizion is worse, and they load the same kind of crap on their phones. No other carrier
offers alleged free wifi.

Republic is full right now.

Sprint is another 30 a month. It doesn't look like I'm going to go over 200MB a month, so my total bill is right around 50 dollars.

I'm all ears for suggestions.

 

[Handruin]

You can get phones that won't put their crap on them. Have you looked at the Galaxy Nexus that just came out? What about using Google voice over Wifi rather than that gimmicky crap T-Mobile is messing about with? If calling your girlfriend is the priority and you don't have enough minutes to cover this...why not use the same carrier as her and get the free mobile to mobile that many offer?

Since you considered T-Mobile...why not AT&T? I would put T-Mobile way below AT&T in my list of carriers I would choose. I'd even choose Sprint before T-Mobile.

 

[Santilli]

Cost is the main reason.

I can use Skype if she ever gets back from Washington, and, I can get it installed on her computer. Plus, I do have the option to call her on google voice.

Problem is any call to my google voice account rings on my cell phone, and, I'm not sure if they charge for that or not.

 

[Handruin]

Cost is the main reason.

I can use Skype if she ever gets back from Washington, and, I can get it installed on her computer. Plus, I do have the option to call her on google voice.

Problem is any call to my google voice account rings on my cell phone, and, I'm not sure if they charge for that or not.

You could try a test. Does your phone have an airplane mode? Can you disable the carrier network, yet only enable the Wifi radio? If so, try receiving a Google voice call that way. I'm making the assumption that as long as you're not connected to the cellular network, your wifi shouldn't be counted as air time. You should be able to track your minutes of voice time to confirm this. Call and receive through the Google voice app.

 

[Santilli]

After an hour on the phone, I've got a resolution. Apparently you have to request the free Wifi, or they charge minutes.
I just did that, and they added it to my phone. If I call Italy, it's 9.99 cents a minute.
If my GF decides to use this phone, for 5 bucks a month, I can drop that to .34 cents.

I found this blog:
http://www.tmonews.com/2011/05/t-mobile-unlimited-wi-fi-calling-feature-going-live-tomorrow/

This guy knows more about what Tmobile is offering then most of it's employees.

Haven't installed Google Voice on the phone yet.

I tried your test. It appears to work, but, won't dial through the normal channels.
Skype? I'll try it through Google Voice. Installed it a minute ago.

 

[Santilli]

Didn't work. Still, now I have the option to call through google voice. See if that gets around Tmobile's minute plan.

 

[LunarMist]

Are there any Android e-mail apps that can view attachments from Outlook RTF messages? I'm having the winmail.dat problem that I thought was resolved years ago.

 

[Santilli]

Official AT&T NOT buying T Mobile

http://www.tmonews.com/2011/12/its-over-att-drops-bid-to-purchase-t-mobile-will-pay-break-up-fee/
4 Billion for a deal that failed? Man, am I in the wrong business.
Looks like I'll get AT&T's network as well:
"AT&T will pay a total of $3 billion in cash plus around $1 billion in spectrum and the two carriers will now agree to a roaming deal allowing devices for each network to work on each others. Sounds like we might see more of this."

 

[Mercutio]

So I flashed CM7 on my HTC Evo. It didn't last long. I went back to the HTC rom.

Care to elaborate on your experience?, I'm planning to mess around with custom ROMs more in the coming weeks, but I'm curious why you ditched it.

Lunar, I can't comment on problems with your email system, but I can say that my phone and email program will open attachments just fine.

 

[Will Rickards]

Lunar,
TouchDown by NitroDesk is the outlook e-mail app. It will probably handle your RTF attachments just fine. It is also $20 but it has a free trial I think.

Merc,
Regarding CM7, it was fine. It was just too different. I missed my calendar widget and clock widget. All my apps disappeared. I don't know why it didn't see the ones installed on the SD card. I've since done more research and think I'll have replacement apps for the missing sense features. I also was under the impression that it was more of a stock android interface but it actually uses adwlauncher.

I wanted to try it because I keep getting the space running out message from my phone. Even moving the TouchDown database to the SD card doesn't really help.

 

[LunarMist]

Lunar,
TouchDown by NitroDesk is the outlook e-mail app. It will probably handle your RTF attachments just fine. It is also $20 but it has a free trial I think.

Thanks, but that's not what I mean. There is a specific app used for work (Good) and I installed that one already. I am talking about e-mails from individuals through my various personal e-mail accounts, none of which are on an Exchange server.

 

[ddrueding]

Even moving the TouchDown database to the SD card doesn't really help.

FYI, the SD card is a colossally insecure place to put stuff on an Android device; there are a million and one hacks to gain full access remotely.

 

[Santilli]

Just got a 32GB SD for the phone. It's amazing how you can go through the entire Rolling
Stones Discography finding maybe one good song for 10. Certainly prolific performers.

 

[Santilli]

Favorite Android apps? Best music player?
Best web browser?
Others you like?

 

[LunarMist]

Just got a 32GB SD for the phone. It's amazing how you can go through the entire Rolling
Stones Discography finding maybe one good song for 10. Certainly prolific performers.

You don't edit them down in the computer first?

 

[Santilli]

Yes, that's what I've been doing. BORING. Lot's of bad songs.
Good question. Android Music app that allows you to delete songs?

 

[MaxBurn]

You don't edit them down in the computer first?

I don't and I fully realize maybe 2/3 of the music on my device I likely might not like or hit skip on. Some sort of OCD about completeness I think, don't like splitting up an album. I do at times listen to whole albums and find something I liked and didn't know about.

 

[Handruin]

I don't and I fully realize maybe 2/3 of the music on my device I likely might not like or hit skip on. Some sort of OCD about completeness I think, don't like splitting up an album. I do at times listen to whole albums and find something I liked and didn't know about.

I'm the same way. I don't like adding one or two songs here or there even when it makes logical sense to do so. For completeness I like adding the entire album. I may also skip a good portion of songs. I also add songs my girlfriend my enjoy for when we're traveling in the car together. Often times Pandora wins when we can't decide.

For new albums from artists I like will sometimes take several listens before I accept them and even like them. For whatever reason, my ears or brain are more in tune with hearing the instruments, melody, etc than they are with listening to the actual lyrics. I'll often times know the lyrics, but sometimes don't even connect what they're singing about.

 

[Handruin]

Favorite Android apps? Best music player?
Best web browser?
Others you like?

Flipboard, Pulse, Pandora, Alien Blue, Engadget, Shazam, SoundHound, NPR Music, Last.fm, Evernote, TED, Autoblog, The Weather Channel, Discovery News, NPR News, Zillow, Fandango, Netflix, Speed Test, Skype, WootWatch, USPS Mobile, UPS, FedEx Mobile, Newegg, Amazon, Alfred, FoodScanner, Wizz App (if you have Marantz equipment), WordPress, KAYAK, TripAdvisor, MGM Grand, LV Weekly, ParkFinder, Hanging Free, RSA SecurID, Google Authenticator, Voxer...

 

[BingBangBop]

Sorry, but I would contend that rather than lots of bad songs, it is merely your tastes have changed over the years. I've collected hundreds of CD's, from lots of different artists over the years and I only bought that which I thought was great at the time. I've gone over them relatively recently trying to make a good collection and I now find that most sound like junk that I don't like. However, I still remember what I thought of them at the time and they were great. It doesn't happen to every song, for there are still some I like but the vast majority have been significantly downgraded.

Since the songs and albums haven't changed I must conclude that I have. I would contend that perhaps the same is happening to you all.

 

[Santilli]

My opinion of the Stones has always been the same. A lot of chaff, but a few diamonds in the junk.
However, their later concerts are pretty much all gold.

 

[ddrueding]

There is a big collection of music that I still like, though I know isn't good music. This is just another level of nostalgia I think, remembering how things were; people, places. Same with some movies. If I am sharing something that I like (or remember liking) with my wife, the first time through I am critically listening as if I were her, and agree that most of it is crap. Now to get her to admit that most of the 80s was worth completely forgetting.

 

[Santilli]

Is there a music player that allows deleting songs?

 

[LunarMist]

Sorry, but I would contend that rather than lots of bad songs, it is merely your tastes have changed over the years. I've collected hundreds of CD's, from lots of different artists over the years and I only bought that which I thought was great at the time. I've gone over them relatively recently trying to make a good collection and I now find that most sound like junk that I don't like. However, I still remember what I thought of them at the time and they were great. It doesn't happen to every song, for there are still some I like but the vast majority have been significantly downgraded.

Since the songs and albums haven't changed I must conclude that I have. I would contend that perhaps the same is happening to you all.

I like less than 1% of anything now. It gets worse as you get older.

 

[Mercutio]

OK Kindle Fire time:

1. Fuckers don't include Google applications. And they aren't on Amazon Marketplace. I'm going to have to sideload Youtube, Picasa and Gtalk. That's a HUGE annoyance, as is the lack of direct integration with Google services.

2. The Amazon interface is inconsistent. Home, Back, Menu and Search are accessed via a slider on the touchscreen, but in some applications, particularly the Kindle app itself, the slider doesn't work as advertised. Also a HUGE annoyance.

3. The home screen doesn't really support widgets or customization at all. I'd at least like to see a calculator and/or a calendar app.

4. The screen is nice, as is the built-in sound, though it's pretty easy to cover the speakers while using the device in landscape mode.

5. Storage expansion seems to be limited to paid use of the Amazon Cloud. Which isn't really all that bad. Better than nothing, though that's a high recurring cost.

6. The default music player is the Amazon MP3 player, which is fine if not completely ideal, but there don't appear to be other keyboard options available on Amazon Marketplace. I want Swype, dammit.

7. The Kindle Fire is subjectively heavier than a Samsung Galaxy 7". I'm not sure how much. and I'm too lazy to look, but it's noticeable. It's still pretty svelte compared to 9" and 10" tablets though.

8. The UI is very much geared to Amazon services and buying stuff. The integration of Prime Video and Amazon Music is well polished, especially compared to some of the other rough spots. The biggest problem I have is that it is different from other Android stuff.

9. The price is right. For as much as I miss Swype, I didn't pay Galaxy Tablet money for a Kindle Fire either. $200 is a pretty sweet spot. I'm sure Amazon is going to sell a ton of them; I probably know a dozen people who bought one in the last few weeks.

7. On the up side, there seems to be decent