Related
After seeing iPhone apps and trying out a G1 for a while, I'd like to have some of the apps available on these phones on my Tilt. The problem is, I can't find some of the nicer ones available for Windows Mobile.
Netflix App - I'd love to have one of these but from all my searching I can't find one. I know you can browse their website with a browser, but it would be so much nicer to have an application that pulls up just the data I need quickly and easily.
Price Scanning App - I loved this app on the G1. You scan a bardcode and it tells you the product name, gives you reviews, and shows you a list of local prices and online prices for that product.
Yellowpages App - I saw this on on the G1 (and I think it's out for the iPhone too). It's just a yellowpages.com search interface inside an app.
Restaurant Search and Reviews App - Something that either uses GPS or something where I can enter my zip code. Allows me to narrow down restaurants by pricing and type of food. Reviews would be a nice plus.
Webcam App - I had this on my G1 and loved it. I was able to connect to my panasonic webcam and view it by simply launching the app.
Are any of the above available for Windows Mobile?
Windows Mobile has never had such complex apps.
Maybe buy an iPhone or a G1?
guitarlp said:
After seeing iPhone apps and trying out a G1 for a while, I'd like to have some of the apps available on these phones on my Tilt. The problem is, I can't find some of the nicer ones available for Windows Mobile.
Netflix App - I'd love to have one of these but from all my searching I can't find one. I know you can browse their website with a browser, but it would be so much nicer to have an application that pulls up just the data I need quickly and easily.
Price Scanning App - I loved this app on the G1. You scan a bardcode and it tells you the product name, gives you reviews, and shows you a list of local prices and online prices for that product.
Yellowpages App - I saw this on on the G1 (and I think it's out for the iPhone too). It's just a yellowpages.com search interface inside an app.
Restaurant Search and Reviews App - Something that either uses GPS or something where I can enter my zip code. Allows me to narrow down restaurants by pricing and type of food. Reviews would be a nice plus.
Webcam App - I had this on my G1 and loved it. I was able to connect to my panasonic webcam and view it by simply launching the app.
Are any of the above available for Windows Mobile?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Alright, here is my contribution to the XDA society:
Barcorama was found in less than two minutes by using the googlized search option. Just click HERE!
As for your webcam app, you can use orb.com to access more than just your webcam from your PPC, or PDA.
The other ones, I didnt really get too far into looking at, because kidNamedAlbert is right, those are some uber complex precesses.
Remember, also search first and when you feel you just can't find it, search again. Chances are, it's out there.
hope this helps
I don't understand the want or need to have 10 different apps that all search for some very specific thing when one app that can do it all is much more convenient. what if I want to look up a restaurant's number, call them, make a reservation, and then get a map to their? should I have to use 4 different programs to accomplish that, or should I just use one (google maps)? heck, Live Search does all that, AND can also do it with voice recognition. and tell you the weather while you travel.
If you look hard enough you can find all this functionality with existing WM apps, as per above.
Try microsoft's free windows live for what you are looking fore and more. It's fee.
www.wls.live.com
Or even Google maps at www.google.com/mobile.
Enjoy it.
asrrin29 said:
I don't understand the want or need to have 10 different apps that all search for some very specific thing when one app that can do it all is much more convenient. what if I want to look up a restaurant's number, call them, make a reservation, and then get a map to their? should I have to use 4 different programs to accomplish that, or should I just use one (google maps)? heck, Live Search does all that, AND can also do it with voice recognition. and tell you the weather while you travel.
If you look hard enough you can find all this functionality with existing WM apps, as per above.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Totally agree!
In addition: GARMIN MOBILE XT in version 5.0 does it all too - has in addition even a CALL DESTINATION feature.
I just do not understand the need of people to have web application 'installed' in their devices! Well, maybe I am getting too old for all that, who knows?
<Damn, now I sound like a smart ass, LOL>
7.0.7008.0 - 03/03/2011
Hi Guys Most people are getting the Update only few on Uk O2 and US Tmob seem to be not getting it
I have unlocked UK O2 and just popped a tmobile UK sim and have updated my phone
so good luck ........
Your Questions Answered about updates - 25/02/11
http://goo.gl/Fw4kW
First Windows Update and How to Get It - 22/02/2011
http://goo.gl/AS3SM
NEW on Upcmong UPdates :14/0212011
Microsoft announced several new Windows Phone 7 features coming in 2011, including a “dramatically enhanced” browser experience based on Internet Explorer 9; additional multitasking capabilities; support for Microsoft Office documents in the cloud; and the addition of Twitter to the People Hub. The expanded capabilities announced today include:
•
Copy and paste functionality via first major update, coming in the next month
•
Twitter integration directly into the People Hub in 2011
•
Support for Office documents in the cloud in 2011
•
Dramatically enhanced Web browser experience based on IE9 in 2011
•
A new wave of multitasking applications in 2011
•
Targeting significant volume of Nokia Windows Phones in 2012
Multi Tasking
Want to know how the eventual, inevitable implementation of app multitasking on Windows Phone 7 will look? Wonder no longer: it's cards, which seems to be the way a lot of guys are going after webOS showed how to do it right a couple years back, and it looks hot. If you press the Start button you'll see the app tiles, then press the back button and you'll be right back in your app right where you left off. However, that's just the beginning: hold the back button you'll get a card-like view of all running apps. Pick your app and you're back where you left off in that one. You can multitask even in games, have Slacker playing in the background, and if you press a volume button while on the home screen you'll get a quickie interface for changing track, pausing, and playing.
Official link here http://www.microsoft.com/windowsphone/en-us/features/update-info.aspx
One question we hear often is: What’s next for Windows Phone? We’re obsessive about listening closely to our customers and improving our phone software. So over the next few months, look for updates that add some new features you’ve asked for and also tune up your phone’s performance.
Here’s a peek at some of what’s ahead:
Copy and paste
Soon you’ll be able to copy text from emails, text messages, web pages, and Office Mobile documents, and paste it anywhere you can type.
Using copy and paste is easy and intuitive. In many cases you just tap a word, slide your finger to highlight any additional text, then tap the Copy icon. To insert this text in a message or app, just tap the spot where it should go, then tap the Paste icon.
Copy and paste is a handy way to quickly send someone’s latest Facebook update, turn-by-turn directions from Maps, or a must-see link from Internet Explorer Mobile. Once you’ve copied something, you can paste it again and again.
The new feature adds to the list of time-saving shortcuts already built into Windows Phone, like the ability to tap an address on a webpage to map it (US only).
Faster apps and games
Nobody likes to wait. That’s why we’ve whittled down the time it takes for apps and games to start up and resume. It’s all part of our focus on getting you to the things you love, easier and faster.
Better Marketplace search
We’ve streamlined Marketplace search to make it easier to find specific apps, games, or music. Press the Search button in the apps or games section of Marketplace and you’ll see only apps or games in the results.
Press Search in the music section of Marketplace to search just the music catalog.
Getting phone updates
How will you know when an update is available? Easy. Your phone is designed to automatically tell you via a pop-up message (unless you’ve turned this option off). For more details, see How do I update my phone software? link here http://www.microsoft.com/windowsphone/en-us/howto/wp7/basics/how-do-i-update-my-phone-software.aspx
Nice. Thanks for this.
SWYPE! GIVE US SWYPE!!!!!
jimbonics said:
Nice. Thanks for this.
SWYPE! GIVE US SWYPE!!!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
most likely it will be a paid app in the market place..
tfn said:
Official link here http://www.microsoft.com/windowsphone/en-us/features/update-info.aspx
One question we hear often is: What’s next for Windows Phone? We’re obsessive about listening closely to our customers and improving our phone software. So over the next few months, look for updates that add some new features you’ve asked for and also tune up your phone’s performance.
Here’s a peek at some of what’s ahead:
Copy and paste
Soon you’ll be able to copy text from emails, text messages, web pages, and Office Mobile documents, and paste it anywhere you can type.
Using copy and paste is easy and intuitive. In many cases you just tap a word, slide your finger to highlight any additional text, then tap the Copy icon. To insert this text in a message or app, just tap the spot where it should go, then tap the Paste icon.
Copy and paste is a handy way to quickly send someone’s latest Facebook update, turn-by-turn directions from Maps, or a must-see link from Internet Explorer Mobile. Once you’ve copied something, you can paste it again and again.
The new feature adds to the list of time-saving shortcuts already built into Windows Phone, like the ability to tap an address on a webpage to map it (US only).
Faster apps and games
Nobody likes to wait. That’s why we’ve whittled down the time it takes for apps and games to start up and resume. It’s all part of our focus on getting you to the things you love, easier and faster.
Better Marketplace search
We’ve streamlined Marketplace search to make it easier to find specific apps, games, or music. Press the Search button in the apps or games section of Marketplace and you’ll see only apps or games in the results.
Press Search in the music section of Marketplace to search just the music catalog.
Getting phone updates
How will you know when an update is available? Easy. Your phone is designed to automatically tell you via a pop-up message (unless you’ve turned this option off). For more details, see How do I update my phone software? link here http://www.microsoft.com/windowsphone/en-us/howto/wp7/basics/how-do-i-update-my-phone-software.aspx
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All fine and dandy, when can we expect this, mine is collecting dust, so I need to know when to turn it on to get the update.
Reading through what they are updating, they are giving us one thing that is need, leaving out 20 other important things, then focusing on what makes them money, games and market place, go figure.
I am excited about the windows phone 7 updates that will be coming down the pipeline soon. I actually wrote an article about it for Yahoo the other day. You can check it out here
http://www.associatedcontent.com/ar..._phone_7_update_is_on_the_horizon.html?cat=15
What i would also like though is an update from HTC that fixes battery life issues and sound level from the speakers, then all would be well in the world
brett_day said:
I am excited about the windows phone 7 updates that will be coming down the pipeline soon. I actually wrote an article about it for Yahoo the other day. You can check it out here
http://www.associatedcontent.com/ar..._phone_7_update_is_on_the_horizon.html?cat=15
What i would also like though is an update from HTC that fixes battery life issues and sound level from the speakers, then all would be well in the world
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nice way to advertise your self, or as its called in the marketing world " nice plug"
But your article misses the big picture as many have, they give us copy and paste to shut us up, and then focus on fixing or improving what makes them money.
Till they add in the other 20 important missing functions which every smart phone in todays markets should have, your praising a product which is an insult on our intelligence.
when are we likely to get the update? i just got my hd7 today switched from android. i have to say the os is smooth. but lack of apps makes me sad . and the youtube app does not have hq option which sux.
they need to let us manually configure hidden network...
2012iawait said:
the youtube app does not have hq option
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Get the HTC YouTube app from marketplace and be happy that it solves this problem.
2012iawait said:
youtube app does not have hq option which sux.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Posted already
still waitting......
Why do we have this thread? We don't even have the update yet, it's misleading. Who knows exactly when they're releasing the update. By the time they release the update this thread will be 1,000 pages long LOL
Not a good idea to me
rysky007 said:
All fine and dandy, when can we expect this, mine is collecting dust, so I need to know when to turn it on to get the update.
Reading through what they are updating, they are giving us one thing that is need, leaving out 20 other important things, then focusing on what makes them money, games and market place, go figure.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think the marketplace search is an awesome update. I thought it was terrible searching for apps and music was thrown in there. Supposedly they're fixing all the other problems later in the year with a HUGE update.
Don't worry be happy. Good news it has been officially announced that there will be an update for hd7 soon....the exact date will be announced and soon as it is guess what You will know. In the meantime I suggest live your lives, make someone smile, make another happy. Get some fresh air and smile.
updated info on first page
Update coming by March now , fingers crossed and it does look promising,
although no news about what htc will be doing to sort some of the problems we are having or if MS will fix em for us
thread title is too misleading. It should say coming update!
vcard support coming??
http://twitter.com/#!/WinPhoneSupport/status/37205768843300864
http://twitter.com/#!/microsofttag/status/37299986991423489
just thought I'd share.
Windows First update
Read link on first Page
Apparently its gonna be a small update to update the updater
evolutionqy7 said:
thread title is too misleading. It should say coming update!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ditto...plus, what's the girls gonna cry about..? this os runs w/o the update...folks always want to ***** about something!
I still stuck at version 7004, anyone here have version 7008 already? Or the newest one from MS that brick the Samsum WP7 One?
Finally after four long years with ios i have thought of trying windows phone 8 and have taken a Lumia 820. Now some basic things i am not able to find and am really having problem.
1) How do i do a rotation lock? Every time i pickup the phone, the screen will rotate. I cannot read while laying down in bed as the screen constantly will rotate.
2) How do i take screenshot?
3) How to find out how much data is used?
4) Is it only me, i feel the app store is very kiddish and unprofessional
5) I am sure more question will follow as i explore.
Thanks in advance.
I don't know if has an rotation Look,
For an screen shoot press Windows Button an on/off. To find out the Data was used going to the settings/info.
Sent from my Lumia 930 using XDA Windows Phone 7 App
xtrose said:
I don't know if has an rotation Look,
For an screen shoot press Windows Button an on/off. To find out the Data was used going to the settings/info.
Sent from my Lumia 930 using XDA Windows Phone 7 App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I thought it was the Windows button + the camera button?
I ve got a UC Browser it has a "Lock" option. When you set it on the screen doesn't rotate. I also use phone in example in bed and this option is very useful
Sent from my Lumia 820 using Board Express
Sent from my RM-826_im_india_201 using Board Express
the_rahul_009 said:
1) How do i do a rotation lock? Every time i pickup the phone, the screen will rotate. I cannot read while laying down in bed as the screen constantly will rotate.
2) How do i take screenshot?
3) How to find out how much data is used?
4) Is it only me, i feel the app store is very kiddish and unprofessional
5) I am sure more question will follow as i explore.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1) Not implemented at OS-level. Applications can do rotation lock on their own via application-specific settings.
2) Press start (button with windows logo) + power buttons at same time. Screnshot will be available from "Photos" app.
3) "Settings" -> "Phone storage"
4) Yes it is. Short development time, lack of QA etc. They will improve over time, probably.
eyeofhell said:
3) "Settings" -> "Phone storage"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was looking for internet data usage.. I have not found any app yet :|
the_rahul_009 said:
I was looking for internet data usage.. I have not found any app yet :|
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately, Windows 8 do not provide any functionality or public API for this. You can use your carrier's commands (like "*100#" etc) to get details on traffic usage, costs etc.
Data Sense
the_rahul_009 said:
I was looking for internet data usage.. I have not found any app yet :|
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Windows Phone on the Nokia has an app called the Data Sense to keep track of your data Usage check it out!!
eyeofhell said:
1) Not implemented at OS-level. Applications can do rotation lock on their own via application-specific settings.
2) Press start (button with windows logo) + power buttons at same time. Screnshot will be available from "Photos" app.
3) "Settings" -> "Phone storage"
4) Yes it is. Short development time, lack of QA etc. They will improve over time, probably.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not sure you are trolling or not with #4. There is more QA than Android.
In my Lumia 920, take a screenshot is Windows button and power button!
Not Windows button and camera button!
I can´t find the Nokia app names data sense!
Is this app not available in Germany, T-Mobil???
xtrose said:
In my Lumia 920, take a screenshot is Windows button and power button!
Not Windows button and camera button!
I can´t find the Nokia app names data sense!
Is this app not available in Germany, T-Mobil???
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Even i can't find.. looks like its verizon only app.
xtrose said:
In my Lumia 920, take a screenshot is Windows button and power button!
Not Windows button and camera button!
I can´t find the Nokia app names data sense!
Is this app not available in Germany, T-Mobil???
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Use counters from nokia.
Same Boat.....additional questions
I'm a long time Android user and looking to move over to WP8 after my experiences w/ my Surface Pro. Thinking using W8 on my comp and laptop, it would only make sense to use the same interface on my phone. That being said, I've searched the WP8 store and find the bulk of what I'd need in apps, but I know I'll miss the customizing aspects of Android.
I have a few questions that maybe some experienced WP users can answer for me to ease my concerns......
1. How different is WP8 from W8? I know they look the same, but do you control them the same? Do you swipe down for menus, from the left for last app, etc? I'm hoping they do work the same, I'm beginning to really like W8.
2. My phone is my central hub for daily life, the alarm clock is no exception. I've gotten used to my phone going silent every weeknight at 10 except for the phone and alarm (emails, texts, etc make no noise and the LED doesn't blink). Can this be done on WP8? Somehow the thought of my phone beeping all night as emails come in is a turnoff.
3. Speaking of notifications, do most of the WP8 phones have LED's? The one I'm looking at now (Nokia Lumia 920) never mentions the lack of one or it's presence.
4. Another notifications question. Can you have dedicated ringtones for contacts or companies? Seperate tones for different emails (exchange, gmail, yahoo, etc.)?
5. How integrated are things like Box or Dropbox and sharing? I see SkyDrive mentioned each time, which makes sense because it's the MS equivelant, but others in my company will be sticking with their iPhones or Android devices, so Dropbox is a must and Box is really needed. Can I upload from within each program as convienlently as Android? As example, I take a picture of a reciept for expenses with MDScan, when I'm done labeling it, I can upload it from within MDScan to any of these: Bluetooth, Box, Drive, Dropbox, email, Gmail, etc.
Is there anything else a business phone user will miss coming from Android to WP8?
Thanks in advance, looking forward to doing some more reading and hopefully taking the plunge!
MonkeyTime said:
I'm a long time Android user and looking to move over to WP8 after my experiences w/ my Surface Pro. Thinking using W8 on my comp and laptop, it would only make sense to use the same interface on my phone. That being said, I've searched the WP8 store and find the bulk of what I'd need in apps, but I know I'll miss the customizing aspects of Android.
I have a few questions that maybe some experienced WP users can answer for me to ease my concerns......
1. How different is WP8 from W8? I know they look the same, but do you control them the same? Do you swipe down for menus, from the left for last app, etc? I'm hoping they do work the same, I'm beginning to really like W8.
2. My phone is my central hub for daily life, the alarm clock is no exception. I've gotten used to my phone going silent every weeknight at 10 except for the phone and alarm (emails, texts, etc make no noise and the LED doesn't blink). Can this be done on WP8? Somehow the thought of my phone beeping all night as emails come in is a turnoff.
3. Speaking of notifications, do most of the WP8 phones have LED's? The one I'm looking at now (Nokia Lumia 920) never mentions the lack of one or it's presence.
4. Another notifications question. Can you have dedicated ringtones for contacts or companies? Seperate tones for different emails (exchange, gmail, yahoo, etc.)?
5. How integrated are things like Box or Dropbox and sharing? I see SkyDrive mentioned each time, which makes sense because it's the MS equivelant, but others in my company will be sticking with their iPhones or Android devices, so Dropbox is a must and Box is really needed. Can I upload from within each program as convienlently as Android? As example, I take a picture of a reciept for expenses with MDScan, when I'm done labeling it, I can upload it from within MDScan to any of these: Bluetooth, Box, Drive, Dropbox, email, Gmail, etc.
Is there anything else a business phone user will miss coming from Android to WP8?
Thanks in advance, looking forward to doing some more reading and hopefully taking the plunge!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cant answer #1, don't know W8 yet, but wanting to!
Regarding #2, there is no setting or app that I know that schedules a sound setting time (do not disturb) I have to go in and tell my phone to silence whenever I go to bed. The alarm will still work even if silenced, just notifications won't make any noise.
#3, yes, they have LED's, but not to notify you of anything more than your phone is charging. At least thats so on the 8X.
#4, yes and no. You can have individual ringtones for people in your contact list, but not individual text or emails.
And don't know about #5, I use skydrive exclusively.
jerrya said:
Cant answer #1, don't know W8 yet, but wanting to!
Regarding #2, there is no setting or app that I know that schedules a sound setting time (do not disturb) I have to go in and tell my phone to silence whenever I go to bed. The alarm will still work even if silenced, just notifications won't make any noise.
#3, yes, they have LED's, but not to notify you of anything more than your phone is charging. At least thats so on the 8X.
#4, yes and no. You can have individual ringtones for people in your contact list, but not individual text or emails.
And don't know about #5, I use skydrive exclusively.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, those are all good starts. I know I'll be fine without a lot of the little customized tweeks I've gotten used to, but have this ingrained fear of the unkwown. I am looking forward to a phone that works, consistantly!
Hi everyone, just got my N3 last night and I am pretty excited about it.
I am a long time Mac Rumors member and my past phones have been ...... JB 3g, JB 3gs, JB 4, JB 4s
I am very upset with the tiny screens on my iphones and I refuse to wait another year for the 6 to come out.
So now I am a 1st time Android user and what to really check out the Android scene.
What are the first things I should do with the phone, what should I install right away? (different keyboards, apps, etc)
Is there a thread around here with tutes instructing how to transfer my contacts etc?
I surely will appreciate all replies, so thanks in advance. I really wanna get the very MOST out of this device.
edit: does Google Play offer any rebates/coupons/freebies for newly purchased devices?
Hey I would use smart switch to get your things from iPhone to your new phone but that is after you have it activated
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using xda app-developers app
XiphoneUzer said:
Hi everyone, just got my N3 last night and I am pretty excited about it.
I am a long time Mac Rumors member and my past phones have been ...... JB 3g, JB 3gs, JB 4, JB 4s
I am very upset with the tiny screens on my iphones and I refuse to wait another year for the 6 to come out.
So now I am a 1st time Android user and what to really check out the Android scene.
My N3 arrived Wednesday evening, and it's STILL not activated, (and its killing me).
The reason being, I wanna know if there is anything I should do BEFORE I call ATT and activate it.
(I do NOT want to close any windows, so is there is anything you folks recommend I do before I activate it)?
Once activated, what are the first things I should do with the phone, what should I install right away?
Is there a thread around here with tutes instructing how to transfer my contacts etc?
I surely will appreciate all replies, so thanks in advance. I really wanna get the very MOST out of this device.
edit: does Google Play offer any rebates/coupons/freebies for newly purchased devices?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What do you mean by call ATT and activate it? All you have to do is put your SIM card in and it is ready to go with a few account setups. After that it is up to you except for rooting and modding. Cant be done right now without voiding your warranty.
First thing you do is scratch off the att emblem since they locked the bootloader
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
XiphoneUzer said:
Once activated, what are the first things I should do with the phone, what should I install right away?
Is there a thread around here with tutes instructing how to transfer my contacts etc?
I surely will appreciate all replies, so thanks in advance. I really wanna get the very MOST out of this device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello?
Looking for some help here. This keyboard is way different than iphone, is it something you get used to, or should I install something else?
Please tell me what are some of the things I should change/install right away, (there's got to be some "must haves" no?)
XiphoneUzer said:
Hello?
Looking for some help here. This keyboard is way different than iphone, is it something you get used to, or should I install something else?
Please tell me what are some of the things I should change/install right away, (there's got to be some "must haves" no?)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For the keyboard, i prefer the google keyboard over the samsung one. It provides functionality similar to the iphone and is easy to switch between the iphone and android if you use them both in daily life.
As for apps, here is a small list of apps i like to have on all of my devices.
GOOGLE CHROME. Its much better than the built in browser and is able to synchronize with my desktop browsers favorites, etc.
Skype: Perfect for if you are travelling over seas at all with your device.
Google Hangouts: A good replacement for the built in SMS app.
Facebook & Twitter: If you need an explanation, you shouldn't be useing these apps.
Battery Doctor by KS Mobile: Simple app, but is helpful to save battery life and know exactly how much you have left.
Google Music: I have most of my library stored on google so it makes my life easy to have this.
Google Books: The book equivalent of my music library. Syncronizes what i have read across devices and browsers.
Kindle for Android: For the ebooks you buy on amazon.
Google Keep: Great for taking quick notes and having them on all your devices.
Dropbox: Great cloud file storage. Comes with free storage and you can pay to get more.
Google Drive: Google version of dropbox.
MX Player: This video player will play any video format you throw at it.
Google Maps: A must have for all smartphone users.
Zedge: While its quality has gone down a fair bit from what it once was, its still a great place to find ringtones and notification sounds for your android device.
GPS Status: Great for calibrating your devices sensors and ensuring that it works properly.
Now for the ROOT ONLY apps.
Titanium backup
SuperSU
Triangle Away
Hopefully this is a useful list to get you started. I have all these plus many more installed on my devices, and I find I use them all fairly regularly.
djdelusional said:
Skype: Perfect for if you are travelling over seas at all with your device.
Google Hangouts: A good replacement for the built in SMS app.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I prefer Hangouts to Skype because Hangouts features free video multi-chat.
But I use Google Voice for SMS because it provides free unlimited texting. Hangouts insists on using the phone's native number rather than your Google Voice number, so you have to pay extra for a text plan or for individual messages.
Doesn't anyone else have any advice for a first time Android user?
XiphoneUzer said:
Doesn't anyone else have any advice for a first time Android user?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If your new to android I'd stay away from root for a while.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I467 using Tapatalk 4
XiphoneUzer said:
Hello?
Looking for some help here. This keyboard is way different than iphone, is it something you get used to, or should I install something else?
Please tell me what are some of the things I should change/install right away, (there's got to be some "must haves" no?)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I feel like for every-day typical phone use cases, there aren't that many gaps that stand out as needing to be filled by a third party app. You'll probably need a new music player, the defaults are crapola - but I can't be much help here; I keep my music as folders full of MP3 files (like God intended!) and play with Music Folder Player, and shun the dirty S&M ("sync and manage") apps.
There's a big list of stuff that I did when I first got the phone to get it to where I'm happy with it, but all of this was root required stuff. There are apps that come pre-loaded on android devices and can't be removed or disabled without root. Also, customizing stuff that can't be customized without root. I couldn't abide by some of the not-changable-without-root defaults. Getting rid of the "screen turns on so you can unlock it when you hit the home key" behavior is probably the most glaring example for me; my ass* was unlocking it constantly - but coming from iPhone, you probably view that as the Right Thing for home button to do.
I think most people use a custom keyboard. Swiftkey and Swype are the most popular. The phone comes with Swype, but it's an ancient version with limited support for changing the dictionary, you want the newest one.
I use Hangouts for gchat, but not for SMS. I actually prefer default app for SMS..
Settings:
Pull down status bar, long press on wifi, WiFi -> menu -> advanced settings, uncheck auto connect to AT&T hotspots (unless they don't suck where you are. Around here, they often don't have internet behind them, and just break your connectivity for the 30 seconds or so it takes for the phone to connect to them, determine that the wifi is no good, and fall back to 4G. At least this phone does that; Original note would just sit there like a fool trying to use non-functional wifi... I've also yet to find a hotspot that performs better than the 4G does. But I live in a city, so the situation may be different elsewhere).
Pull down status bar, long press on GPS. Uncheck "Use wireless networks" - on newer versions of android, this drains battery while idle; the damned thing wakes the phone periodically to check the networks around it - if the phone is nearly idle, this can halve battery life (!!!)
Pull down status bar, swipe to the left along the options at the top (woah, did you know you could do that?), tap multiwindow to enable multiwindow (this was a headline feature for the note 3, but comes disabled by default). If I long-press back button, that makes the multiwindow tab hide or unhide (once it's enabled), but I don't remember if I had to do something to get this behavior.
General must-have things:
AppOps Starter (to kill permissions from apps that request permissions you don't want to give them)
Battery Monitor Widget (gives you a realtime readout of battery usage)
ES File Explorer
If you want to pretty-ize clock + weather widgets:
DigiClock
Eye in Sky
If you work in IT or have need of these (if you aren't sure what these mean, you don't need them ):
ConnectBot (telnet/ssh client)
AndFTP (ftp/sftp client, supports scp if you pay)
RDP Client (remote desktop and VNC client)
FEAT VPN (OpenVPN client)
Hacker's Keyboard (you'll tear your hair out trying to use swype/swiftkey for terminal sessions or RDP)
If you want to root the phone:
Root it, then immediately install titanium backup and "freeze" AT&T software update, so it won't update your phone (breaking root) while you're not looking
Titanium Backup - freeze all the useless bloatware that AT&T and Samsung included (there's a list of what apps you can freeze here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AmzC8GFarItSdGpOZzBfWlR4MC03aDMyZ1BDUFNqU0E - not my work)
Root Explorer
Pen Window Manager for adding apps to the pen window feature
Xposed Framework
Wanam - general huge amount of customization, including selecting apps for multiwindow.
Keyboard Manager (almost a necessity if you use ConnectBot/RDP frequently - keyboards designed for messaging and such are garbage for doing administration of non-phone systems, while hacker's keyboard is garbage for messaging and everyday phone stuff)
Terminal Emulator (gives you a command prompt on phone. Doesn't require root, but there are very few use cases for terminal on android that don't also need root)
*Well, I keep it in my front pocket, so technically it wasn't my /ass/ unlocking the phone....
Looking at the Nokia 640 on metro PCs , what are you guys opinions on this phone?I had a Nokia 521 quiet awhile back but switched to android because of the lack of SD card use back then.
I can't speak to MetroPCS as a carrier, but the 640 is a great phone for its price. The biggest problem with it is the same problem every WP device will have - there aren't as many apps available for the platform as there are for Android and iOS (although there are a bunch nonetheless, and more every day) - but the phone itself is quite good unless you need high-end specs for some reason. The OS runs very smoothly on it. Also, it's upgradable to Windows 10 Mobile (yes, Microsoft changed the branding on their phone OS *again*...), so you've got a reasonably future-proof design and it'll even be able to run at least some Android apps in the future.
In my opinion windows phones are always better and safe than android phones. You can also read about technology public relations.
Play Apps?
GoodDayToDie said:
I can't speak to MetroPCS as a carrier, but the 640 is a great phone for its price. The biggest problem with it is the same problem every WP device will have - there aren't as many apps available for the platform as there are for Android and iOS (although there are a bunch nonetheless, and more every day) - but the phone itself is quite good unless you need high-end specs for some reason. The OS runs very smoothly on it. Also, it's upgradable to Windows 10 Mobile (yes, Microsoft changed the branding on their phone OS *again*...), so you've got a reasonably future-proof design and it'll even be able to run at least some Android apps in the future.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Where are these claims about Android apps to WP coming from? Isn't it still a rumour?
I can't seem to find any official substanciated news about this...
As I understand it MS currently have two problems regarding the app-gap;
1) if they open WP to Play-apps, then they risk losing interest from dev's to continue making apps specifically to WP, making WP more or less another version of Android.
2) making dev's keen on making apps for a third platform, which isn't futureproof yet (even tho it's been around for long enough). This "solution" will make WP it's own and keep MS in the mobilemarket as an real and actual alternative to the established platforms.
What is sure and what are rumours?
M
Metalbuddhist said:
Where are these claims about Android apps to WP coming from? Isn't it still a rumour?
I can't seem to find any official substanciated news about this...
As I understand it MS currently have two problems regarding the app-gap;
1) if they open WP to Play-apps, then they risk losing interest from dev's to continue making apps specifically to WP, making WP more or less another version of Android.
2) making dev's keen on making apps for a third platform, which isn't futureproof yet (even tho it's been around for long enough). This "solution" will make WP it's own and keep MS in the mobilemarket as an real and actual alternative to the established platforms.
What is sure and what are rumours?
M
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They will not enable android apps to run directly on the phone like in an emulator, they developed a tool so android developers can recompile their existing app code so it can be used in windows, see the video below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qgajY4An1I
I'm really looking forward to making the switch from Android. I've always been a Windows PC enthusiast, and Windows 10 is shaping up nicely.
So, a phone to match will be nice. As for apps for phones, I hardly use any nowadays.
The biggest disadvantage of WP is the low market share of under 10% .
This means that most of the useful apps or games will not be available to WP.
But if as you say you dont use apps and you like the windows style you should go for it!
My experience switching over
I picked up a 640 on T-Mobile the other day as a new "daily driver" - my S4 went swimming once upon a time and reception was never quite the same after that, and I've been thinking about app development and the possible advantages of being a bigger fish in a smaller pond - particularly if MS manages to be successful going forward with Windows Phone. I'm sure I won't have anything available by the time Windows 10 Mobile comes out, so I'm not sure how that's going to work out in the end - perhaps Android development would be a better choice after all? But my experience with the phone overall hasn't been bad so far, particularly not for $100.
The one thing that I hate about the phone is that I can't put it on WiFi at home - something about the WiFi config puts it into a boot loop when it tries to kick in the voice over WiFi piece. Seems like it's similar to the "no iOS zone" problem that turned up for Apple back in April, except that since (relatively) nobody is using Windows Phone nobody really cares. The "fix" recommended is "reset your router to factory defaults" which might be an issue since I'm running OpenWRT..... I'm thinking about putting the Windows 10 preview on so this may go away - even if it's only due to lack of support for T-Mobile's WiFi calling. At least I have LTE coverage in most of my house and an "unlimited" data plan.
The main thing I'm really missing is browser choice - I REALLY miss having Firefox and Dolphin, because I do a lot of long-form reading in my browser and the readability view in FF is much more usable. LastPass in Dolphin is also nice to have, though it never worked for me in Firefox. I'm also missing the addon ecosystems of both browsers. Surfy is at least a nice addition, but browsers on WP seem to be at least 2-3 years behind what's on Android. Both IE and Surfy "feel" kind of like the built-in browser in Gingerbread (2.3) or maybe in the early days of Ice Cream Sandwich (4.0) before Google started pushing Chrome as the default browser. Having relatively weak browser(s) is a problem because with the lack of apps at least I can use mobile websites..... when they don't simply crash out the IE tab/window/whatever since it's not a tabbed or windowed interface.
I'm also hoping that Pocket Casts will work correctly for me after their next update (currently it hangs if I turn on sync to pull in my podcasts, then dies on app startup), but I'll survive for a while. I'm also feeling the lack of good ebook readers, I've been spoiled by Cool Reader and Moon+ Reader Pro on the Android side.
The only things besides browsers that I'm really missing:
Things tied in with Google's ecosystem - I use Google Voice for my voicemail, I've been using Location History for a long time to help me track when I arrive at and leave customer locations, and there's a group of us that uses Google Hangouts for group chat. I can get Voice notifications in email with the transcriptions then listen to the messages via URL. The Location History bit I may be able to replace with Phone Tracker, but I'm not sure what to do about Hangouts yet.
Replacement keyboards! I've been a big Swiftkey user for years and would love to have it back even without the voice recognition link (which launches Google's service). I hate having to do 4-6 extra keystrokes to enter passwords because of the switches to get to numbers/punctuation and extended punctuation (via the numbers page). There are places where Hacker's Keyboard (a much more full keyboard nice for terminal emulations) was also nice to have.
A GOOD text editor (e.g. DroidEdit which has syntax highlighting, etc.) or really even an adequate text editor. Maybe a mediocre one? Please? I've seen mention of Code Editor but was unimpressed by the "Free" version (first thing it does is throw you to the store page for the paid version, free version can't even see the "advanced" editor that's the only reason to actually consider it). The only other option that at least looks good in screenshots ("HTML+JS+CSS IDE") hasn't been updated since 2013 and has a total of 3 reviews - and the two with text are both 1-star.
CallTrack (which adds all of my phone calls to my Google Calendar, tagged appropriately and with start and end times) and SMS Backup (which uploads my sent/received SMS to GMail, tagged appropriately). CallTrack is great for going back and "Who did I talk to that day?" and SMS Backup is great for tracking down things received in old messages. I WILL be working on finding replacements for these.
And a few less-important things that I can either do without or still need to find replacements for:
My auto mileage/service tracking app - if there's something comparable to aCar then I haven't seen it yet.
OpenVPN, though the VPN service I use allows IPSEC as well so I'll need to set that up.
Lyft, though I've not actually needed to use it. I know Uber's on there, I just like what I know of Lyft better (and there's one area where my wife may need it that's on the edge of the areas for both but Lyft covers it and Uber doesn't).
KeePass - I believe I saw one implementation in the Store, but I'd want to check into the background of it given the number of scam apps I've come across.
@fencepost: Good list of stuff, there. I don't really have a good solution to much of it - I mean, Microsoft has alternatives to a lot of Google's stuff, but they are mutually incompatible so everybody you hang out with would need to switch too - but those are some good problems to list. The problem with WiFi calling is probably a T-Mobile bug, sadly; I don't have it myself but WiFi Calling on WP8.x isn't really as good as it could be. My biggest personal complaint with WiFi is that the OS is too damn desperate to stay on (unusably weak) WiFi signals even when it has cellular data; if I'm actively using my phone when I leave the apartment (for example, checking a bus schedule) it's faster to manually disable WiFi than to rely on the phone to notice that the WiFi signal is much too weak to use and fail over to cellular. Ideally I'd be able to tell the phone to use cellular by *default* and only use WiFi for stuff that it can't get ont he WAN (LAN servers, etc.), but the OS wasn't really designed to provide an optimal experience for people with unlimited data plans.
The custom keyboard thing may be fixable soon - at least, I really hope so - but for now it is indeed a problem. WP8.1 has the best *built-in* keyboard of the three leading mobile OSes, IMO, but it's not better than all the Android options.
As for a text editor, I generally avoid writing anything longer than notes or minor document edits (or emails, but usually only plain text) on the phone, so I haven't really looked. You might be able to use SSH or Remote Desktop, though; there's a number of decent apps for each (including a MS-authored one for RDP) and with unlimited data they should work. You may even find them more useful than a local editor. It might be worth setting up a Remote App server (so you'd *just* get an editor, rather than a whole desktop) for this.
OpenVPN *should* be possible to port, but it needs a driver (TUN/TAP) and MS would need to approve or provide that even more than they would need to approve a new VPN app (which I think requires a capability not normally available to third-party devs). I'm tempted to say that they really *should* allow it, but I'm also painfully aware that OpenVPN on Windows (and, possibly, other platforms) is sort of crap. I can usually beat it into submission on a machine where I have admin, but on a phone it could simply just sit there being unusable until the phone gets rebooted or something.
WP8 in general seems to have a lower risk of scam apps than Android, but it's definitely a good idea to look into any password keeper utility's trustworthiness.
EDIT: As for browsers, as far as I know there's not actually any rule against third-party browsers. Opera Mini does exist for WP8, which is cool, but so far as I know nobody has ported a Gecko or WebKit/Blink-based browser. Ideally, somebody should fix this, although getting them to work within WP8's application model might mean rebuilding a lot of the browser as well as just porting the rendering engine.
Metalbuddhist said:
Where are these claims about Android apps to WP coming from? Isn't it still a rumour?
I can't seem to find any official substanciated news about this...
As I understand it MS currently have two problems regarding the app-gap;
1) if they open WP to Play-apps, then they risk losing interest from dev's to continue making apps specifically to WP, making WP more or less another version of Android.
2) making dev's keen on making apps for a third platform, which isn't futureproof yet (even tho it's been around for long enough). This "solution" will make WP it's own and keep MS in the mobilemarket as an real and actual alternative to the established platforms.
What is sure and what are rumours?
M
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I read an article on Flipboard some while ago that MS had ditched it because of Lack of security in Open-source and it wouldnt work directly from the file system.. only if they sideloaded Android apps. Why do we want android apps anyway.. It removes the love of WP. MS need to invest more money in their WP store to entice new devs.
Let ms make a toolkit for the android devs
A toolkit to one click port it to MS ecosystem
Then the threshold to port it would be lower and a real mony maker for the devs
Sent from my C6603 using XDA Free mobile app
NightOrchid said:
I read an article on Flipboard some while ago that MS had ditched it because of Lack of security in Open-source and it wouldnt work directly from the file system.. only if they sideloaded Android apps. Why do we want android apps anyway.. It removes the love of WP. MS need to invest more money in their WP store to entice new devs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't want Android apps as such, but Android and IOS devs in the wp game.
I've had a lot of Apple and Andy devices the last eight years and have grown to like the variety of developers and want they put out for us.
WP is a good ecosystem, but the app gap is way bigger than I expected. There are just to many everyday apps I had on my other phones, which I cannot get in WP (yet).
I feel like I've walked into a grossery store and most of the shelfes are empty... I have to buy my oj and milk in another store, simply because MS can't get those dev's on board.
...And that's just a crying shame.
The 640 has a baked in WiFi calling feature rather than a separate app like almost every other Lumia device. I think it may be the only Lumia to have Wi-Fi calling baked into the SIM settings rather than running as a separate app.
Be careful if you are using any Google apps with it - Google is scared of Windows phone and they are doing everything they can to prevent app development. Any app they have taken over will never see another Windows phone release, and they are kind of crazy about it. For example Microsoft made their own YouTube app because Google wouldn't ,Google forced them to take it down. Now the YouTube app on the WP is just a link to YouTube - not because no one wants to make one for WP, but because Google won't let anyone make one.
---------- Post added at 08:34 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:32 PM ----------
I should add though - I have the 640 and it's awesome, extremely fast, well built, solid screen, expandable SD card slot, decent cameras for a phone and an ok flash. It's also neat the way the apps tie together with your windows 10 computer
NightOrchid said:
I read an article on Flipboard some while ago that MS had ditched it because of Lack of security in Open-source and it wouldnt work directly from the file system.. only if they sideloaded Android apps. Why do we want android apps anyway.. It removes the love of WP. MS need to invest more money in their WP store to entice new devs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have tried both Windows as well as Android Phone but everyone will agree that Android is anytime the best coz of features or benefits it has to offer. I used to be a Windows Mobile fan but now I love Android.
I would not switch to Windows again for now atleast