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Why do you have to Root android phone's to do anything good to them??????

Why do you have to Root android phone's to do anything good to them??????, is what my iPhone friend just told me. I need a really good comeback. Any suggestions?

come on guys....

Call him a dumbfuck. Alternatively, ask him what exactly what these "good things" are that you need to root to access. Multi-tasking? Yeah, been able to do that since forever. Customization? Same. Install a home replacement. Wallpapers? Ditto. The latest iPhone OS only brought to the table features Android has been able to do out of the box from the beginning. Flash? Get your Froyo on via official OTA, no need to root.
Oh, and ask him what he can do with an unjailbroken iPhone. Out of the box, it's a crippled piece of ****.

You can do a lot of "good" things to your phone without rooting.
With froyo comes the LED flashlight and tethering.

Ask him if he can tether or install 3rd party apps (w/o iTunes) without jailbreaking his iPhone and see what he says

lol thanks guys...keep it coming!!!

I have to answer this question at least once or twice a week when asked by many of my co-workers who gave up their crackberries for android. I give them the basics: Overclocking, undervolting, unrestricted tethering etc....But it's best put this way: Imagine having a car that can do 150 MPH but its restricted to 60 MPH. You may not have to go over 60 MPH but you should be able to if needed right? I hacked every smartphone I have owned because I refuse to get less than what my money is worth. If your heart pumps kool-aid or you like being pimped by manufacturers/service providers, then don't jailbreak/root.

JDMSirEK4 said:
Why do you have to Root android phone's to do anything good to them??????, is what my iPhone friend just told me. I need a really good comeback. Any suggestions?
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Tell him it's actually the opposite. Personally I could NOT use an iPhone if it wasn't Jailbroken. This is coming from someone who used an iPhone 3GS for 10 months exclusively. Personally iPhone jailbroken is pretty good. It's pretty useless without jailbreaking, turning on/off wifi/gps/bt, is slow, multitasking, folders/categories/contact picture hack, better sms app, etc..etc..

Ask him to load up some widgets, live wallpapers, google Nav. etc etc etc.

... there's a reason they call it "JAILBREAKING" and "ROOTING".
Jailbreaking = iPhone is useless without it, a lonely condemned soul waiting to be released. And even after you jailbreak it, it's horny, hungry and dumb as hell.
Rooted = getting access to additional features that require admin level access. Personally, I had only 2 reasons to root at all - wifi hotspot and flashlight. BOTH are now available for NON-rooted N1s. So.. Unless you got specific reasons to root.. your phone is already a powerhouse that can do anything.

DarkDvr said:
Rooted = getting access to additional features that require admin level access. Personally, I had only 2 reasons to root at all - wifi hotspot and flashlight. BOTH are now available for NON-rooted N1s. So.. Unless you got specific reasons to root.. your phone is already a powerhouse that can do anything.
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Honestly, the flashlight was the only real reason I ended up rooting. I've since installed other root-only apps, but they do have non-root equivalents.

duh to load custom roms

Be able to uninstall Twitter is all the reason I need to root. Seriously Google, stop doing that, if I want it I'll go find it. Don't start messing your phones up like AT&T does.

External Monitor App?

I was curious and thought this would be kind of a neat app. Is there an app that I can use to turn my GTab into an external/second monitor for my laptop? If so is it Linux compatible or just Windows? Is it USB or WIFI?

I've been trying to find something like this also.

You could try a remote access app. There are a few to choose from in the market. There are also a few threads here about some of the different options.

Looks like the iPad has one ... wonder if they will work on an Android version:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/maxivista/id380146095?mt=8

Doesn't look like it...
http://www.phraseexpress.com/phpBB3...&start=0&sid=0de7ef74024f2af56e0f99d9f067c652

jpmi23 said:
Doesn't look like it...
http://www.phraseexpress.com/phpBB3...&start=0&sid=0de7ef74024f2af56e0f99d9f067c652
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Too bad too, I like maxivista.
Surprised their devs are so naive as to say they couldn't see the market for and android version. Guess they don't actually watch or read the news much.
(BTW, I mean the PC version, I have never drunk the apple/itunes koolaid)

nunjabusiness said:
Surprised their devs are so naive as to say they couldn't see the market for and android version. Guess they don't actually watch or read the news much.
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Lol. I'll second that. Aren't we the "hackers" always looking to do something cool with our open source gadgets? They are as naive as it gets.
I was just thinking of something like this aswell. Is it possible to re-engineer the hdmi-out to take hdmi-in? I'd love to plug my cable box into my tab while i play xbox on the TV (or vice versa) I know there has been no positive progress on hdmi-in with HTC's mini-HDMI implementation. Maybe viewsonic (being a monitor company) has a better possibility? Any dev's feel like taking a crack at it?

iDisplay is available in the android market. works just like the iOS version.

Anyone tried iDisplay on the gtab?
I thought I'd buy it but there are only two bad reviews on their webpage and eleswhere I've read that they do no give refunds. There is no trial version on their site, but their terms of service says that customers are expected to run trial versions before they buy . . .
I sent them a kind message asking them if they truly expect anyone to give them money for basically nothing. But I tried to be nice, and to encourage them to post a trial so I could buy and give them a positive review. Five bucks ain't much, but darned if I'll give it away to shmucks . . .
Anyway, if the app works well, they deserve our support.
My gtab is running vegan5 and I use the HP mini wireless keyboard with both of the office suites available. The gtab is taking place of my laptop and doing a great job of it. To be able to also use it to augment the laptop by giving me more screen real estate would be icing on the cake.
Thanks for posting this thread. I never would have thought if it.

iDisplay working
I gave it a try and am happy to let you know it is working well. It is a bit laggy and slowed down my computer a bit but does work for an extra screen.

matthai5 said:
I gave it a try and am happy to let you know it is working well. It is a bit laggy and slowed down my computer a bit but does work for an extra screen.
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Thanks for the feedback. I'll purchase the app. I loaded the XP application and it appears that a virtual server is created which could be the reason for the slowdown.
It would be nice if some of these application developers provided just a wee bit of info that could be used to determine if an app is appropriate or not. I think that the apple market has set a kind of precedent for wishy-washy frivolity that is going to carry over into the android market unless google demands a higher degree of responsibility. The time is now, before the market matures as android tabs and notebooks take over most of our computing tasks, as I think they will.
The apps written for the old Palm devices were held to a much higher standard than a lot of iPhone apps I've seen. But then the Palm devices were oriented towards business productivity and not so much as toy/entertainment oriented as iPhones and iPads. I spent part of the day with my hands on the Xoom tab, and talking to several Motorola reps and Verizon sales people. I must have sounded like an evangalist for the android OS.
If google is listening I'd like to tell them to take their work seriously right now because they could be taking over the entire personal computing market in the near future. Computing, regardless of platform, is not all about entertainment. We in engineering and science have needs that also require more versatile hardware and software. The tegra3 is just around the corner . . . then what? How will all those extra processing cores be made truly useful? I want an android powered tricorder.
My evangelical proclivities are simply gushing forth . . . (in all the wrong places)
Thanks again to the OP for initiating this thread.

I tried iDisplay today. I like it! It is a bit laggy, but works great other than that!
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBD-H8Bhehc

[Q] I was robbed last night!

Man what a weekend. For the last 6 months I've been working may ass off just trying to stay ahead of the game. I'm overworked and underpaid (who isn't these days) and it starting to take its toll. I'm making mistakes I would have never made before. Like last night. I fell asleep early and the dog woke me up to go out. I took her out and in my dazed way back in neglected to lock the door.
I feel like a world class jackass but not for long. I'm looking for a security system. I need something advanced and am hoping among all the techies here there's some experience and advice on where to start looking for the best system.
Things I know I want/need are sensors for all windows, motion detectors, automatic light control, some fixed cameras, some 360 degree cameras. Oh and of course I will need an android app to interact and control the system.
In my case this was my own fault for not locking my door but it really hit home how unsecure my house really is. I have barely a line of defense and its time to get with the program. Even if I had locked the door there were still a number of unsecured entry points into my home.
So does anyone have any experience with home security? Do you have any suggestions on where to start? Have you come across any systems in tech blogs and such that look promising?
I'm beginning to research into all this as we speak but this is unfamiliar territory for me. I'm a tech Guy like you but home security has never been an interest till now. If you have anything to offer as far as what to get, what to do, and what not to do it will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

I've never tried an Android-based home security system, but I don't see why not. For example, you could install a Schlage LiNK™ system. There's also Alarm.com and ElkDroid. I suppose other home automation tools might be useful.
But, um... are you planning to take your Nook Color with you while you walk the dog? These apps require network access; if you plan to stray more than ~20m from your house, you'd probably need a portable access point. Of course, it's not a problem if you plan to monitor your home while you're at the office (with network access).
Good luck!

Thanks for the reply and links to look into. You made a good point about not having network access to my Nook on a dog walk. I guess in that situation I would use my android phone instead. But while at home since my nook is my go to device I would use it. I don't think the system needs to be android based but I would like an app that would let me monitor the security cameras, turn on and off lights, and be notified of opened doors and windows.
The system needs to be a hardwired system and if possible also be capable of wireless. Maybe I'm going to have to pick one or the other but I haven't figured that out yet. I'm probably going to start out small and cover the most important aspects first so the system would also need to be expandable.
I began searching the net yesterday for information regarding home security. Theres alot! Hopefully as I research and begin making my choices in equipment and monitoring I will update this thread to maybe help others. What ever I choose Android will be a part of the system.

Best security system you can get on a budget is a Foscam camera.

luke121 said:
Best security system you can get on a budget is a Foscam camera.
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Do you mind sending me a pm about foscam? My restaurant just got broken into and I'm looking for an economic and proficient way to watch or protect.
Thank you in advance!
Sent from my unrooted Galaxy Tab.

I was robbed last night
I know the feeling well. I've been broken into twice. As a result, I called Brinks and had a system installed. But I kept forgetting to set the alarm and it was costing me $35.00 a month. So I began looking for other alternatives. In the search, I discovered all kinds of DIY things I could do to safeguard my house. So I ended up with a self defense website. You can install door and window alarms, surveillance systems, ect. There is actually a barking dog alarm that really works. A local woman had one and was able to scare an intruder off. I'm sure she thinks it was worth every penny she paid for it.

I was robbed also, about 4 years ago.
They made off with a new 24" iMac, WiFi printer, Gateway laptop, my old ass 8 year old PC with a 15" CRT monitor that I used to run Mandrake and other flavors of Linux on. They also managed to locate my backup hard drive in the kitchen.
I have worked as freelance Web Development & Design for years and lost a ton of work, clients respect and reliability.
I now have two remote backup hard drives (my moms house and my friend) with automation scripts that run nightly.
I use Dropbox on my two Android™ phones + my Nook + my desktop PC + my clients PCs.
As for home security: I no longer advertise on my vehicle, nor promote myself on the streets, I carry the minimum amount of cash, only carry one credit card, don't wear any jewelry, and talk to my children about the dangers of strangers, open the front door, etc.
Plus we have the peace of mind having electronic home security, motion sensors, door + window sensors, etc.
The geek in me wants to install a few webcams throughout the house, front yard, back, etc. and have access to view them via https via one of my websites.
But that'll have to wait.

I have 2 Panasonic Network Cameras with audio. You can monitor the cams on your Android phone with an app. There is a way to set it up for motion detection too.

Thanks for the replies. I'm still searching for the best system to meet my needs. We did check into ADT but I'd hate to pay the 35 dollars a month bill when we have the tech today that would make proffesional monitoring a waste. They do provide the equipment and install which is nice though.
Isn't there some kind of security enthusiast sites like a maximum PC or Tg daily. A site that could get me better informed of my options?

IFLATLINEI said:
Thanks for the replies. I'm still searching for the best system to meet my needs. We did check into ADT but I'd hate to pay the 35 dollars a month bill when we have the tech today that would make proffesional monitoring a waste. They do provide the equipment and install which is nice though.
Isn't there some kind of security enthusiast sites like a maximum PC or Tg daily. A site that could get me better informed of my options?
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The best security I know is, no one can steal your stuff if its all on fire.

For a real serious system that is also open to DIY, I'd strongly recommend the Elk Products M1G Gold system.
A great site to learn more is from http://www.cocoontech.com
Can do extensive home automation as well if that's your wish.

Awesome! Thank you.

Chromecast Apps: What's the holdup?

I keep checking around occasionally to see if my Chromecast will become useful today. I would have expected that only a few days after its release, the Google Play store would be filled with interesting Chromecast apps, and existing Android apps would be adding Chromecast features. As of today, the only apps capable of playing media on the Chromecast are still apps that it launched with. I've heard a bit about Koush's unreleased apps, which tells me that the holdup is Google themselves. What gives? Why are they doing this? Does anyone have any idea of when they will allow developers to release their apps? The way this Chromecast thing has played out so far seems very unlike Google, and is making me quite disappointed with them.

Waiting on Google to release the sdk out of beta. No timeline yet. It will come....
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app

I think main reason for the release of the device was to bring Google Movies service to your big screen TV, the rest was just a bonus. Looks like due to lots of licensing issues, this will be a slow and painful process and I hope it doesn't become the next Apple TV that is barely useful without the jailbreak and XBMC on it.
I also hope someone turns the script from the other thread to a mobile app in a similar fashion to what Koush did.

The way I figure it:
If you were an early adopter, you get a Netflix, Youtube, Google Play and sort-of Chrome tab player for $35. If you got the Netflix 3 months code, then it cost you even less. Think back to the last time you bought a disappointing piece of technology that you had high hopes for... at least this one is cheap!
I'm sure the public SDK will happen when it's good and ready. I just think Google wants to have out some more examples of big-name apps that work really well with Chromecast, before they open the floodgates to all the rest of the devs.

cmstlist said:
Think back to the last time you bought a disappointing piece of technology that you had high hopes for... at least this one is cheap!
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That is true. It's just frustrating to own a capable device with artificial limitations.

Yea we should of known something was up when 3 months of netflix with the device at only $35. That tells me they knew the only content provider they had on board now was netflix. To keep most happy they can say "oh we pretty much gave you the device". Enjoy old movies for the next 6 months and we will slowly add content. Only way for Google to make money is to not let devs release their apps. Fortunately some will grow tired and root the device "again" and developers will create programs that function with beta sdk and your device ID that will enable apps to work as they choose. Only issue is we will never be able to receive content updates as that would patch root access. Kinda a lose lose situation. lol
Its cool dont get me wrong... To sit on the shelf and say i have 5 of them. But in know way fun to use if you already had your netflix and youtube experience. I recommend android stick mk808 or higher even a roku as they are very fun to tinker with.

I think before the 3 months of Netflix expire we'll at least see a few more big names come on board. Both developers and customers are beating down the door to get in.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4

I can't help but to be pessimistic about all of this. How can a device with such a simple idea of casting not come out with the ability to cast images from your phone to the TV? It is an obvious omission that almost everyone wants and would have been a simple coding to get it working at launch.
Either way though, I must say I really love my Chromecast as-is, even though it does have these unnecessary artificial limitations.

AlexNC75 said:
I can't help but to be pessimistic about all of this. How can a device with such a simple idea of casting not come out with the ability to cast images from your phone to the TV? It is an obvious omission that almost everyone wants and would have been a simple coding to get it working at launch.
Either way though, I must say I really love my Chromecast as-is, even though it does have these unnecessary artificial limitations.
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Geez people! Have some freaking patients! The SDK is in beta and developers are not allowed to release apps yet. Do you really think they created an SDK to never release it? WTF! It's like a bunch of little kids in a candy store and their mom telling them they can't eat all their candy right away. The SDK WILL be released and people WILL create apps or add functionality to current apps...

Doctors have plenty of patients.
I'd bet the vast majority of purchasers will only ever use this for the 'sanctioned' apps that G itself gets behind. Picasa should have been included out the gate. When I hacked the mk808, it was one of the first things I wanted to do, get my photos up on the big screen. Maybe someday we'll see 'Chromecast-Ready' advertising, but I still wonder how G makes real bank on this product. It's saving grace so far is price and future potential.
edit: and the more I think about it, that future potential tends to circumvent G's interests.

While everyone has a conspiracy theory I think what we're seeing is a typical new product cycle. For a product like Chromecast to be successful Google needs as many apps to support it as possible. However, I'm sure after that app developers are reluctant to support a new hardware product until there are enough devices to warrant it. Look, Windows phone has millions of phones in use but app developers aren't going there. Yes, Chromecast doesn't require much from the app developer but using their precious resources costs money and they don't want to go there until the hardware was proving itself as something people wanted.
Hence Netflix. It was a seed product. An app many millions of people use. If they were on board it could help sell the product. And help it did. I believe the success of Chromecast caught Google off guard. Clearly they weren't able to handle the demand for hardware and the demand by app developers to get things into the Play Store. While they may have thought they'd have until Holiday season to get things rolling, it has been accelerated greatly.
I expect that the next run of the hardware will be bigger and longer. I work for a company that has products made in China. It can take 6 weeks just to get on the schedule of a manufacturer and then many weeks to produce and then 3 weeks to come across the water and go through customs, then another 2 weeks to get into the channel. That's months. Google has more money to throw at the manufacturer to speed things up but there may not be too many suppliers that can make this product.
Time is what is needed. By the end of the year we'll know a lot more. Be patient.

I've made a big mistake buying a Chromecast 3

Hi everybody! I've been a silent XDA reader for years, solving a lot of problems and using this wonderful forums, but I felt almost the obligation to talk about this device here, so I registered.
I always investigate a device's specs before buying, but it seems I'm getting rusty... One of the things I always look for is the possibility to customize the devices to my needs.
Sadly, I didn't research enough for the Chromecast.
I was hoping XDA could save me, once again, with a custom rom/firmware or something, but this time it seems that the Chromecast 3 is a fully closed device.
I had problems with Chromecast since day one: with my WiFi, bluetooth, casting (NONE of my other devices have problems with my network)... Google Home App is now mandatory and even if you manage to use an anonymous device with an anonymous Google Account to set up the Chromecast, once you uninstall Google Home App or not use the device with it, your Chromecast become almost unusable.
I know that there are a lot of alternative devices for the same purposes (I will buy one of them, of course), but I really hope that in the future there will ALWAYS be alternatives.
I felt really tied and powerless to solve the problems with this device because of it's lack of options and configurations.
A lot of people surely loves this if they can just plug it and it works, but if you are the type that want to tweak things, my advice is to STAY AWAY from Chromecast and similar devices.
For now it will stay in a drawer to the day that alternative firmware is available or even possible.
Sorry for the rant, but the lack of customizing of this device was really overwhelming for me. It the first time I feel so powerless to do anything to solve this type of problems with a techy gadget.
Sorry for my english too. It's not my main language and I'm out of practice.

Tried 1st generation it was good
now i'm using mi box s it's fantastic

gebxda said:
Hi everybody! I've been a silent XDA reader for years, solving a lot of problems and using this wonderful forums, but I felt almost the obligation to talk about this device here, so I registered.
I always investigate a device's specs before buying, but it seems I'm getting rusty... One of the things I always look for is the possibility to customize the devices to my needs.
Sadly, I didn't research enough for the Chromecast.
I was hoping XDA could save me, once again, with a custom rom/firmware or something, but this time it seems that the Chromecast 3 is a fully closed device.
I had problems with Chromecast since day one: with my WiFi, bluetooth, casting (NONE of my other devices have problems with my network)... Google Home App is now mandatory and even if you manage to use an anonymous device with an anonymous Google Account to set up the Chromecast, once you uninstall Google Home App or not use the device with it, your Chromecast become almost unusable.
I know that there are a lot of alternative devices for the same purposes (I will buy one of them, of course), but I really hope that in the future there will ALWAYS be alternatives.
I felt really tied and powerless to solve the problems with this device because of it's lack of options and configurations.
A lot of people surely loves this if they can just plug it and it works, but if you are the type that want to tweak things, my advice is to STAY AWAY from Chromecast and similar devices.
For now it will stay in a drawer to the day that alternative firmware is available or even possible.
Sorry for the rant, but the lack of customizing of this device was really overwhelming for me. It the first time I feel so powerless to do anything to solve this type of problems with a techy gadget.
Sorry for my english too. It's not my main language and I'm out of practice.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Chromecast is one of those Google projects that could of been a great thing but apparently they put their focus on ads and more money making programing and such. I tried Firestick and damn is that thing good, comes with its own os within the dongle and comes with a voice blueetoth and IR for tv remote which make you not really on your phone and it has a lot of cool hidden tricks like using bluetooth earphones. Firestick runs basically on android 5.1.1 Just don't run kodi on it it's not powerful enough there's plenty of other movie .apks that can be installed using downloader app. Hell even a raspberry pi with a wireless Logitech k400 plus is a better setup. Now I use Chromecast for hotels, and work brake room [emoji38]
Sent from my NX629J using Tapatalk

Victor8ST said:
What is the point of this topic? The point is you don't recommend people to buy Chromecast 3? I was about to buy one.
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Hi! Do whatever you want about it of course. I just wanted to advice people that like to customize your devices, as may be the majority of users of this great forum, that it is a very closed device and you can't tweak much or solve issues if it doesn't work out-of-the-box.
So, I strongly recommend buying an Android TV box instead. Of course it's less trustworthy for private stuff. But if you don't plan to use homebanking or something like that and just watch stuff, them are far better, as other users commented in this topic.
I have an Android TV Box now, ultra customized, rooted, with Netflix, media players, browsers, and lot's of stuff as in any root friendly Android device and it is great.
The bottom line is:
- Do you like Apple ecosystem and feeling more safe with your private stuff, and don't want to customize anything? Buy Chromecast.
- You like customizing your devices and spend time with configurations, tweaking and personalizing? Buy a rooted Android TV box instead.