Droid Does...Dancing?

Via TopNews

In order to promote their new Xperia Arc, Sony decided to grace the mall with it's presence using the little green guy himself.  Don't let him fool you, he can do more than just the robot...Android can get down!  I can't even lie, it's pretty amusing and entertaining.

If you haven't heard of the Xperia Arc and it's available in your area, you might be doing yourself a favor by giving it a look.  It's an extremely nicely designed phone, smooth looking interface, thin and has a great camera for taking stills as well as video.  Even better, it ships with Android 2.3. 

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Correct Problems with Inaccurate Android Picture Gallery Thumbnails

If you've ever gone into your picture gallery and clicked on a picture, but then your phone ended up showing you a different one...or your gallery has previews of pictures that you know you deleted a while ago...or any other strange problems in your picture gallery, then this is the fix for you.

I'm running stock Android so I'm not sure if this works for phones running HTC sense or Motomessblur.  I would assume so since everything should be in same folders, regardless of the carrier's customization.  Follow these steps to get your gallery up and running the way it should:  

1. Click Settings > Applications > Manage Applications and clear the thumbnail cache
2. Use a file explorer, such as Astro File Manager to navigate to the folder /sdcard/DCIM/.thumbnails.  Once there, delete everything in that folder.
3. Navigate to /sdcard/Android/data/com.cooliris.media/cache. Again, delete everything inside of the folder.

After following the above steps, restart your phone and head to your gallery.  The thumbnails should rebuild and any problems you had before should vanquish.  Shout out to Shay D. Life for the tip from the Cyanogenmod forum. 

 

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Visual Android Activation Timelapse, from Droid to Galaxy S Launch

Image via CrunchBase

Google has put together a worldwide visual representation of Android handsets being activated from October 2008 to January 2011, with major activity occurring with the release of the Motorola Droid and Galaxy S devices.  It's a great sight to see how widespread the Android operating system has become over the years across different countries.  

Temple Tips: Is Your Droid No Longer Playing Music?

Image by nino63004 via Flickr

Is your Droid or Droid 2 suddenly no longer playing your music, mp3s, songs, or ringtones?  If you're trying to play one of the aforementioned items and you've suddenly started receiving the error that says "Sorry, the player does not support this type of audio file," then this is the fix for you.

To correct this problem turn off your phone, pull out the battery and turn your phone back on.

Everything should now be a-okay!

 

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Apps 2 SD: Gain More Space on Your Android Phone (Rooted Only)

Image via Wikipedia

This article is strictly for those of you with rooted phones.  If you aren't rooted but want to get a little more out of your device that may happen to be a little less powerful than those released this summer, feel free to take a look at what a rooted device can do.  The XDA community has lots of instructions and help on how to go about the process for your specific phone.  If you're not interested in rooting, please feel free to check out any of the previously written articles. 

The best part about owning a smartphone is the ability to download and play with literally thousands of apps.  However, a problem arises when your device runs out of space.  This is especially problematic for those of us with older devices who don't have gigabytes of internal memory to spare such as the Droid X (8GB of internal memory!).  I've been having this problem over the past few weeks, frequently getting the low disc space warning which haults any incoming text messages, voicemails and the downloading or updating of all apps.

I finally decided to do something about it and take advantage of the ability to completely install all of my apps to the SD card.  This is different than the feature built in Froyo, which doesn't completely do this.  To give you an idea of how great the Apps2SD feature is: before going through with the process I only had 22.31 MBs of available space.  After installing App2SD, I now have 92.86 MBs of available internal storage space left.  Got your attention now 'ey? :-)

Below is a guide I put together due to all of the scattered information available out there.  It took me forever to figure out how to do it the right way and hopefully this makes it much easier for anyone else going through the process.  I used tkirton's post to install Darktremor Apps2SD and danfrance's guide from Android Forums.

This guide is for those of your using a ROM from Cyanogenmod.

1. If possible, move all of your apps to the internal memory
2. Make a backup copy of everything on your SD card  and place it onto your computer
3. Go to ROM manager and select "Backup Current ROM"
4. Go to ROM  manager and select "Partition SD Card"
5. Select the size to be 512MB and the Swap = 0
6. Download Darktremor's Apps2SD and place it on the root of your SD card
7. Take the backup of everything from your SD card before the partition and place it back on to the card
8. Reboot into recovery and flash Download Darktremor's Apps2SD

From what I've read, this should be all that you have to do.  Check the links I posted if you're still having trouble.  If your internal memory is still low then you'll probably have to use move your Dalvik cache to your partition as well.  Instructions for that can be found here.

The only problem I'm having is getting my text messaging to work.  I have no idea what I did and it's frustrating lol.  I made a backup though so if I still can't get it to work I'll just put that back on.  If anyone knows how to fix this problem, please let me know :-(

Replace Your Android's System Fonts in One Click with Typefresh

Type Fresh, via AndroidZoom

Ever get a little bored of the way your rooted Android device looks?  You could download some new apps, change your boot screen, change your wallpaper, OR you could change your font.  Now I'm not just talking about changing your fonts for your just your text messaging app.  I mean changing all your fonts at once: the clock, the menu, anything that has words...you'll be ale to change it.  And all it takes is an app!  The app is called Type Fresh and it allows you to change your system fonts with ease.  The best part about it is that it works with just about any font with a .tff extension.  This means that you can use almost any font on your computer or the plethora of fonts available online.  Get started now and find a font that's right for you!  Check out Gadgets for a guide of how to use this app and change your fonts.  Use the Barcode Scanner app or Google Goggles to read the QR code below and download the app directly. 

 

Type Fresh App, via DoubleTwist

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Not Receiving Text Messages on Rooted Phone

I had this issue happen to me several times and it was driving me absolutely insane.  I could send text messages but I was unable to receive them.  I even tried sending a test text message to myself and nothing.  Nada. 

To solve this, create a backup of your current setup using the included ROM manager.  Then flash any other ROM that isn't a CyanogenMod one. I just flashed back to my backup ROM I originally made when first rooting my phone (the one with HTC Sense and 2.1 still on it).  After this step your phone should start receiving all of the text messages, and possibly voice mails, that you hadn't been getting.  Finally flash your ROM again, the one that wasn't receiving text messages, and you should be good to go.  I don't know why this happen, but I know that this solution does work. 

The Greatest Theme I've Ever Had on My Phone

The best thing about rooting is that anyone can come up with their own theme.  I found a fantastic one over at XDA called Steel My Elegance created by Gomorrah.  I think I'm going to use Type Fresh to switch up my fonts but other than that I'm going to be keeping this theme for a while. 

Asimmons has created a theme injector that enables any theme to be ported over to any ROM that you find.  I had to use this because the Steel My Elegance theme wasn't compatible with Cyanogen's 6.1 ROM that I'm currently running.  Asimmons' theme injector solved that problem though.  Peep the screen shots below and let me know what you think.  

 

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Another Droid 2 Update in the Works

An update is on the way that will give Droid 2 users the ability to switch profiles just like the scenes feature on other Android phones running HTC Sense.  For example, let's say you have a current layout of widgets that you like to use while at work.  And then you also like to have another layout that you like to use when you're outside of work or with your friends. The new profile feature will enable you to do just that!  There will be 3 profiles that you'll be able to configure separately.  Peep the video below to see how it's done on the new Droid Pro.

Profiles, via how2moto

Additionally, tethering via USB will also be enabled, which will allow your computer to access the internet using your phone as a modem. 

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Angry Birds Update

Ladies and gentleman, Angry Birds is back again and better than ever!  The newest update features a whole new chapter, which brings the total number of chapters to a whopping 195 levels. This recent update now makes the Android version of the incredibly popular game equivalent to that of the iPhone version.  

Another great addition is that QVGA screens are now supported.  I was happy to hear this because the previous version  had lots of white spaces where the graphics were missing.  I couldn't see the bottom of the levels and anything that remained stationary (couldn't be knocked over or destroyed with a bird) would be completely white.  Thankfully that has all changed with this version and Angry Birds can now be viewed by Android users in all its vivid color greatness as it was intended to be.  Use your phone's browser to head over to Getjar, which will make sure you're downloading the correct version for your phone. And if you're really smart you'd just use Fox to Phone send the link from your computer right to your phone, hassle free.

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Features of a Rooted Hero

In my last post I gave pretty specific instructions on how to root your Sprint HTC Hero. I know it was a fair amount to read but I just wanted to make sure that everything was clear. If anything remains fuzzy please feel free to leave a comment and I promise to get back to you and help you the best that I can.

With all of that reading, I know there are still some skeptics out there or those of you who are just still a little hesitant about rooting. To help get those people over the hesitant hump I decided to make a video displaying what it's like once you root your Hero. I will warn you though, flashing new ROMs is ADDICTIVE! And I'm not the only one. Within 5 days of making the video below I had already flashed a new ROM haha. My advice is to find one that works for you, meaning minimal problems, and then stick with it. I only flashed a new one because the newer Cyanogen Mods have the power control widget built into the pulldown bar so that you have quick access to it.

What a rooted HTC Hero Can Do

Rooting: Transforming my HTC Hero into a SuperHero

When I first got my HTC Hero in May from the Sprint store, I was ecstatic. I finally got to move cut myself away from Big Red's (Verizon Wireless) expensive contract clutches and switch to the wonderfully yellow world of Sprint. I was previously stuck with the Samsung SCH-i760 widows mobile phone when I was with Verizon and just couldn't take it anymore. Needless to say, that is the day I become and Android fan. However there were some things that I knew weren't quite right with my Hero. Most notably:

(Image via Wikipedia)

1. Poor battery life
2. It took entirely too long to dial and answer a call (between 10 - 30 seconds just to get my phone to place a call after having the phone run for a few hours)
3. The inability to upgrade to the latest Android software version 2.2, Froyo

I just knew there had to be a better, more efficient way for my phone to run. Welcome to the world of rooting! Rooting, known in the iPhone world as jail breaking, provides you with the ability to"gain SU [super user] access to your phone. It allows you to flash custom ROMs, install custom themes, lock screens and more. It basically gives you complete and full control over your phone (Android Forums)." If you want the ability to:

• make your phone operate substantially faster
• install apps that you wouldn't normally be able to do, such as an app to capture what's on your phone
• tether so that your phone can operate as a wirelesss hotspot (granted that your provider doesn't say anything)

then you should seriously consider rooting your phone and installing a custom ROM. I did this to my phone for the first time last week and did it without any trouble. The only problem is that information on how to do the entire process is scattered, so I will place simple directions here on how I rooted my phone and installed a custom ROM made by CyanogenMod.

Determine Your Software Build Number: On Your phone go to Settings > About Phone > Software Information. Under build version:

• If your phone reads 1.29.651.1 (Android 1.5), 1.5.56.651.2 (Android 1.5) or 2.27.651.5 (Android 2.2), then please proceed to the Root Your Phone section.
• If you phone reads 2.27.651.6 then you need to revert to the ".5" version. Download this file and , if you haven't already, download the newest version of HTC Sync. Next, double lick on the ".5" version you just downloaded and HTC Sync should take you to the steps to install it. This process is exactly the same as you had to do when you upgraded your phone from 1.5 to 2.1. After that your phone should have the ".5" version. Double check that his has happened by looking Software Version as instructed in the beginning. 
•  ***************************************UPDATE 12-15-10************************************** 
• I've been getting a lot of feedback regarding what to do if your phone updates to Sprint's latest version, 2.32.651.2.  It is possible to do root from this version, however, I have read that sometimes the root goes away when restarting your phone.  A great amount of detail be found in this XDA forum.
• My recommendation is to downgrade back to the 2.27.651.5 version simple because a) I know it works lol and b) it seems to be the method that most people use.  I really haven't heard anyone having problems rooting from this version.  Plus, it's easier for me to help with problems using this method since I'm more familiar with it :-) 

Root Your Phone:

• Root your phone by following the directions in the link at XDA-Developers by regaw_leinad, starting at the place that reads "How to Root Sprint's Release for the CDMA Hero" in bold letters. It also instructs you on how to make a backup of your current system with HTC Sence. Screen shots are included in the post in order to make it easier to follow, but I also included a video below just in case you need a little extra help. Copy and paste everything into the command prompt so that you don't waste your time typing things.
• I highly recommended copying this backup to your computer as well. It's also very useful in case you need to take you phone into the Sprint store because you can just flash the recovery and it'll look like you never did anything to your phone ;-) (since doing all of this does indeed void your warranty).
  
  
  
  (Rooting Your Phone, XDA-Developers)

Flash A ROM

Flashing a ROM is just putting a customized version of the most current version of Android available for your phone. I use ROMS provided by CyanogenMod. The current version is based off of Android 2.2, Froyo, and I have to say that it is blazing fast. I will even be so bold to say that my SuperHero is now as fast as an HTC Evo. Yeah I said it! I bet you want to root and flash a custom ROM now huh? :-)

1. Download the stable ROM from here, provided by CyanogenMod. "Flash" the ROM by:

• Hooking up your phone to your computer via USB and drag the ROM onto your SD Card (not in a folder).
• Drag the Google Apps file to your phone as well or else you won't be able to login to your Google Account. Turn your phone off.
• Hold the "down" volume button and the power button at the same time until your phone turns back on.
• Choose "wipe" Make the selection by pressing the trackball down.
• Choose "wipe dalvik cache"
• Choose "wipe data/factor reset"
• Press the back button until you get back to the main recovery screen
• Choose "flash zip from SD card"
• Pick the ROM you put onto your SD card and press down on the trackball.
• After it's finished, do the same thing except choose the Google Apps.
• Press the back button until you get back to the main recovery screen
• Choose "reboot system now"

Below is a video showing what flashing looks like. Skip to the 3:00 minute mark.

How to Flash the ROM (via MrDroidHero)

CONGRATULATIONS! YOU HAVE NOW FLASHED A CUSTOM ROM AND SHOULD BE RUNNING ANDROID 2.2!


**************************************UPDATE: 12-31-10**********************************************

Seems like adb shell is now located in "\platform-tools" rather than "\tools" after sdk updates.  Shout out to JimmyJamx22 for the tip. 

Extra Information

1. The nice thing about 2.2 is that most of your apps are saved on your account, so if you have to flash your device again then most of your apps will also be installed automatically. However, the data associated with those apps will not be stored. To remedy this I recommend downloading Titanium Backup, which will backup your data as well as all of your apps so that you can restore the ones Google doesn't automatically restore. Don't worry about that though until after you've flashed a ROM.
2. Nightly builds based on stable ROM can be found here. They are experimental though so everything may not work properly, but most of the time they are safe to flash. Check out the forum to see what different results people have with the most current nightly version.

Sprint Apps

• Sprint TV & Sprint TV Widget
• Sprint Football Live
• Sprint Visual Voicemail

I couldn't get my voicemail set up correctly at first since somehow it became deactivated, but I found a solution posted by Chinkster at XDA developers:

• go into your voicemail app
• menu
• compose
• type in "activate@vvm.sprint.com"
• press record
• leave for 5 seconds
• press stop
• press send

I have confirmed that this solution does indeed work. To test it, just repeat the process except compose a voicemail to your own phone number. You should receive it within 30 seconds of sending it. You'll also receive a text message from a 9016 number. To remedy this you should log into your Sprint account and put the 9016 number on your block list.

ASTRO File Manager

In order to install these you will need to use ASTRO File Manager, which acts as an explorer (like on your computer) so that you can find the file. After locating the file, just click on it and ASTRO should install it for you.

To the right is the QR code for ASTRO File Manager. Go the Android Market Place and download the Barcode Scanner application in order to scan the QR code. This saves you from having to go to the marketplace and search for files. Instead, you can use the Barcode Scanner to scan the QR code right on the screen and it will take you to the marketplace automatically to download it.

That's it! You should be good to go! I know it looks like a lot but it really isn't hard. I promise! E-mail me with questions. Additionally, here is a guide that tells you everything that a ROM from Cyanogen does provided by Market4Android.

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Rename Created Folders on Android

It's easy to create folders on Android, but it's puzzling how to name them. I became tired of staring at the word Folder rather than seeing an actual folder name. I know I can't be the only one who was wondering how to rename folder...or can I? Here's how I made a folder for my games since it was taking forever to scroll through my app drawer just to find the game I wanted.

1. Hold down on your home screen until a window pops up
2. Choose: New Folder
3. Next to the folder put shortcuts of the applications you want to be in the folder
4. Drag the shortcuts into the folder
5. By this point, everything should look like this

6. Where it says Games (yours will say Folder), press and hold until a new window pops up

7. Rename your folder and that's it!

Angry Birds: THE Game to Play on Android

It's been a while, Angry Birds has finally come to Android. If you haven't heard of this game, just do yourself a favor and click this link to get the free beta version with 15 levels of pure angry fun. You use a slingshot to fling angry birds across the screen in hopes of hitting the evil pigs that are hiding beneath the structures that you must knock down. It sounds weird but trust me, you'll need to keep your charger handy because you'll be playing it so much. Peep the screen shots below.

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Calibrating Your Battery for Android Device

After rooting my phone, I figured I wanted to get the most out of my new SuperHero by getting the battery to last as long as possible. I searched for apps and everything under the sun, with the most simple solution being calibrating the battery. This can be done for all Android devices, rooted only , and should be done if you're experiencing higher than normal battery drain. Doing so ensures that your battery is getting the most out of it's charge.

1. Charge your phone until the battery is full, not just when the light turns green. To check this, go to menu > settings > about phone > status, and make sure the battery level says 100%
2. Boot your phone into recovery mode and wipe the battery stats while your phone should still be hooked up to charger (If you are using the Clockwork backup then this option will be under the advanced menu).
   
3. Reboot your phone (phone should still be hooked up to charger)
4. Once your phone has booted backup and you are at your home screen, remove the usb cord from your phone to stop the charging process.
5. Use the phone as you normally would until the phone shuts completely off. Do not charge the battery at all before this happens.
   
6. Recharge your phone to 100% again and you're good to go!

Battery Tweak

If you'd like, you can try to get further life from Collin_ph Battery Tweak. "As the battery drains, it lowers the maxumum CPU frequency. So when you have 1% battery left, you may be running at 468mhz instead of 691. Another plus is that the phone runs in a 'higher performance' mode while charging via AC, and another mode to make sure the phone is actually charging when connected bia USB, in addition to the settings mentioned above when the phone is on battery" (XDA Developers).

1. Head to http://www.primoweb.com/froyo/ to download the latest file
2. Drag the file to your SD card
3. Open the Terminal Emulator app on your phone. Since you're rooted you should have it already (make sure you use the stock keyboard when using it).
4. Type: batt-cfg
5. Choose an option (I went with option 1...hold the menu button if the keyboard disappears on you)
6. You should be good to go!
   

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Droid + HTC Sense = An Unhappy Battery

Image via Wikipedia          Google has created a tremendously fun and captivating experience with their Android operating system, but unfortunately this experience only lasts about an average of 10 hours before completely shutting off.  In a world where smartphone users love to remain connected and to be accessible, this crippling limitation prevents people from doing so.  A stellar phone is nothing than a faint start in the distance if it can’t get you through the day.   Below are a few tips suggested in order to help prolong one's daily Android experience.

          The easiest and most simple solution is to carry another charging cable.  The majority of smartphones have all migrated to using mini and micro USB, so you are someone you know may already have an extra charging cable laying around.  Hotels are also a great place to find extra charges.  Many times hotels will let you borrow chargers left by customers and keep it because, let’s face it, the previous owner isn’t coming home anytime soon. Carrying an extra charger benefits people with desk jobs the most for the simple fact that they can charge the phone by connecting it to their computer and still have a 100% charge when 5:00 rolls around.

                As far as the Android operating system is concerned, the following recommendations will keep help your battery last a little longer (I’ll explain directions for each in a future article):

1.       Disable wi-fi and Bluetooth

2.       Turn the brightness down (do not use automatic brightness)

3.       Decrease the syncing frequency of apps such as Facebook, Twitter, and HTC                       Weather

4.       Disable “always-on mobile data”

5.       Turn off data roaming  

6.       Update your profile and PRL

7.       Turn off “use wireless networks”

8.       Turn down your screen time out

9.       Consider using a task killer

The Originial Droid Gets a Brother!

Motorola Droid and Droid 2 (DropNews)

     After releasing it's flagship device with tremendous success, Verizon Wireless is finally releasing a predecessor to the Motorola Droid on August 12th (tentatively) .  The new device will simply be called Droid 2.  The basis of the design is the same, with the biggest improvement being the improved keyboard.  The keys have more of an individual feel rather than seeming like they're all on the same pad.  For people who had never owned a quality slide out QWERTY keyboard they didn't make much fuss over it but trust me, texting on the original Droid and it was just plain awful.  It's great to see Motorola improving upon their design flaws, including making the phone a little less boxy to give it more of a gentle aesthetic look and removing the directional pad.   

 (via MobileCrunch)

(via Pocketnow)

     As specified by Best Buy, The Droid 2 will run you $199.99 on contract and $599.99 if you'd like to buy the phone outright.  I imagine that there will be some sort of mail-in-rebate associated with the $199.99 price tag on Verizon's end, so if you don't receive any corporate discount from your employer and you're jumping into a new contract I highly suggest purchasing the phone from Best Buy.  They won't belittle you with mail in rebates and will offer you the $199.99 price tag right then and there.  So how about it readers, will you acquire the new Droid 2?  Or will you wait to see if Verizon drops another Android phone in the coming months?    

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