Android keeps getting Bigger!

A new report from Gartner Research claims that Google's Android operating system will grow rapidly in the remaining months of 2010, passing both Apple and RIM.

If you don't follow the smartphone world closely, Nokia is still number one worldwide. While their phones are offered by Canadian carriers, the market in other nations over seas encourages users to buy unlocked phones - often Nokia handsets.

In late 2009, Android had only 3.9% of the market - Apple had three times more. Google is expected to hit about 17.7%, which will cobbler Apple's iOS, and just edge out Blackberry. While iOS is still growing, Blackberry has been falling. The dismal response to the Blackberry Torch isn't helping.

That would leave Android behind only Symbian found on Nokia phones, which tend to be the least smart of the smartphones.  And coming soon... new Windows mobile phones.

The single down side to Android's rapid growth is turning out to be the number of devices.  With so many phones, all with different hardware and screen resolutions etc., how quickly are updates going to get rolled out?  My HTC Legend which is great is out of stock all over and new phones keep coming; I'm thinking the manufacturers are going to forfeit updates to sell newer versions of different phones.  

With so many different updates for so many phones the consumer is set to get screwed again.

The Gibson Bus

Spotted DT Edmonton pre Canadian Country Music Awards:

Links that were once!!!

Just searching Google for some tech toys... the top links
all to cnet pages that have moved or don't exist
CBS has invaded C-Net... and the decline is on.


Tom Merritt moved on to the cottage, and I think
the info from there is a little bit cleaner too.

AND totally unrelated

New to the Android App Market

Vlingo: Words to Action App

recently announced Voice Actions for Android 2.2+ phones which allow you to control actions like sending text and email's, navigation and finding businesses, call contacts, plus search all by speaking to your phone.

Vlingo: Words to Action does almost the same.

Feeling trumped by Google, Vlingo immediately cut the price on their once $10 app to FREE.  For free why wait for Manufacturers and Carriers to update.
Search for Vlingo in the Android Market.

WatchDog Task Manager

WatchDog Task Manager

An alternate root to the usual "Task Killer".  I've used a task killer since I got my phone; but this sounds like a better solution.

Watchdog replaces task killers. Task killers blindly kill all apps on the phone, causing increased load times when they're accessed again, or even loss of functionality if it kills something important. Android takes care of starting and stopping apps on demand. Watchdog will find the out of control ones.

What Android doesn't do is alert on processes that aren't behaving well. They will eventually get killed if something needs the memory, but in the meantime, it can consume CPU and thus battery. Task killers address this in a heavy-handed way, and hurt Android's lifecycle management. They won't even work in Froyo due to changes in the API that prevent the kill feature.

Virgin Strong Again

Just two quick notes. 

#1)
My bad Virgin service is great again; must have been the bad storm.

Also for the HTC Legend on Virgin Mobile in Edmonton, the service is WCDMA.
Switching to just GSM left no signal, WCDMA got great reception.

Rather than having auto mobile network, set your mobile network to which network
protocool gives you the best signal; it should save some battery with the phone not
having to decide which network to connect to.

#2)
Tasker was too confusing to set up profiles so I uninstalled it.  It would do alot of things
but was not intuative at all.  Basically you set up sets of logical arguments and
the phone does what you say if you say it right.  Arguments need to be valid and
sound.
It seems other apps do some things Tasker can so it would be most useful to
user who have few programs and want automation.  I think I'm going to go with some
sort of extended controls on a home screen and monitor manually what I was going
to get Tasker to do... I'll also feel more in control.

GSM, 3G, 4G

Everyone keeps asking if my phone is 3G or 4G.

G.G.G.... It's a HTC Legend on Virgin Mobile Canada;
GSM, WCDMA, HSDPA OR in G's; it's a 3.5G

Problem is like computer technology, we have 3G and 4G phones
everywhere but the networks aren't so readily available.  Like multi-core
computing, you may have 4, 8 or 16 cores; but where do you find multi-core software.  Technology is getting better and farther apart at the same time.
As far as cell phones networks, here's a brief simple history (BTW the "G" stands for "generation"):

GSM: 2G European standard and the first digital mobile system. It offers only circuit-switched traffic (i.e voice calls, SMS...etc) and data transfer at very low bitrates 9.6kbps.

GPRS: also reffered to as phase 2+. It offered packet-switched traffic with new network components integrated over the existant GSM core network. This allowed data bitrates to increase to 171kbps. It is also considered as the first step towards 3G networks.


EDGE: It was made to cover the delay of delivery of 3G/UMTS network. It supported data rates upto 384kbps.


UMTS: the first 3G European standard network. It is the optimal solution for GSM operators to support 3G services. The Air interface technique used for this network is WCDMA. This technique allowed data rates to reach 2Mbps.


HSDPA: It is actually a software upgrade to the UMTS network using the same air interface technique used in UMTS (WCDMA) and supporting data rates upto 10Mbps.

Tasker Android App

While looking for battery savers, besides JuiceDefender; I came across this great app:

Tasker

What Is It ?

Tasker is an application for Android which performs Tasks (sets of Actions) based on Contexts (application, time, date, location, event, gesture) in user-defined Profiles, or in clickable or timer home screen widgets. This simple concept profoundly extends your control of your Android device and it's capabilities, without the need for 'root' or a special home screen.
Tasker came 3rd in the Productivity category in the Android Developer Challenge 2.

Sounds like it will do your battery monitoring and hundreds
of other useful things too! Looks like this might be
the essential Smart Phone App for Android.

Check out the LifeHacker Post:
How to Turn Your Android Phone into a Fully-Automated Superphone

Juice Defender App

Juice Defender app from Android Market basically switches off Wi-Fi and mobile internet when you're not using the phone.
You can play around with the settings; here's a good base profile:

Schedule: Enable APN* for 2 minutes every 30 minutes (to pick up email, updates etc.)
Traffic: Leave APN enabled while >10kb / 30 seconds (so if you're downloading something it will keep downloading until it's finished, then switch off Wi-Fi / mobile internet)
Battery: Keep APN disabled while below 15% (to save your battery life for calls and texts when it is below 15%)
Charger: Leave APN enabled while charging (no need to save battery when you're charging the phone)
Screen: Leave APN enabled while screen is on (so Wi-Fi / mobile internet stays connected while you're using the phone, and disconnects when you're not.)

* APN = Access Point Name



UltimateJuice! €2.79

Enables advanced features for JuiceDefender:
- WiFi control with Location
- all schedule intervals
- night, peak schedules
- screen/lock timeouts
- and more!

*** This is an add-on to JuiceDefender, it won't "open" on its own ***


 

Is Virgin turning into a Bell

It's already known that Bell owns Virgin; unfortunate for us Virgin user.

Bell Canada Inc bought Virgin Mobile along with an exclusive long-term licensing agreement that allows it to continue using Sir Richard Branson's Virgin brand.

Sir Richard sold out and now you get the same wait on hold as all the other carriers.

40 minutes I waited before hanging up, called later, on hold for 5 minutes and gave up.

Also had some connection issues recently that ran rampant on my battery.  63% of power used for "cell standby".  An interesting choice of words, "cell standby", because from watching my phone I could tell it was not standing by but rather repeatedly connecting and disconnecting.

There was a bad storm that night so it could be weather?  Next day same connection issues.

Now I'm hoping the worst happened and one of there towers got damaged; and hoping they fix it.

So Canada is back to Bell, Rogers, Telus and now Solo (pay as you go).  All those other company's you see around are just arms and legs of the major three.

For anyone looking for the complete breakdown of battery use:

63% Cell Standby

18% Display

9% WiFi

6% Voice Calls

4% Phone Idle

Usually my display uses 50% or more of my power!

Maybe I'll give JuiceDefender or something a try; but the provider should have good enough service strength without it; we pay for it in Canada!   I have my brightness down and turn off what I'm not using, I just want to sync regularly without having to enable and disable mobile when out.

App - Exchange Rates

A FREE travel currency converter and exchange rate tool with no ads.  Fast and easy to use.  Multiple currencies at once; convert every world currency.  Override rates/Invert rates/Offline mode/Auto sync.
High resolution icons make Exchange Rates the choice for anyone needing an exchange calculator.

Android App - tvJunkie

tvJunkie – for all the series alcoholics! Keeps track of all your favourite series, never miss one again!

This is a great app for keeping track of TV. I watch shows from around the world and this app seems to find them all.  Excellent support from the developer as well; and it's free.

Android App - Call Confirm

Installed this a couple of days ago... great app.  Seems about 40% of my calls in the first month of having a cell phone were pocket calls.  This eliminates that (profound statement!). 

No more accidental calls. Raises up a call confirmation dialog on all calls. Number, photo and contact name let you decide to "Call" or "Hang Up".
v1.2.1 new features:
*disable contact lookup to improve response (option).
*bug fix: support numbers including #.

Call Confirm was developed for Android by 7bit

Package name : net.nanabit.callconfirm

Cell Phones

Chosing a cell phone is a process.  If you want a certain phone you may be stuck with a certain carrier; likewise, if you want a certain phone you have to select a carrier with that phone.  My purchase started at Cell Phones Etc. and I suggest you check here if you are looking for a phone or a carrier.

I wanted an Android based phone so that eliminated Apple and Blackberry.  I was also looking for a newer model.

The three phones I decided to look at were the HTC Legend, the Acer Liquid e and the Sony Xperia X10

After checking specs, Sony doesn't say specifically anywhere on there page, I found that the Xperia X10 was running Android 1.6; a new phone based on an old package.  Sony was also the highest priced at $150-ca.  It was out of the running for my phone... I'm glad now too cause haven't heard much positive about that phone.

The Acer Liquid e was the cheapest of my three choices at $50-ca.  It runs on Android 2.1 and looks good in photos too!  I went to Rogers and held one in my hand... seems more like a glossy piece of plastic than a phone.

That left the Legend, once I had it in my hand that was it... this is a phone!
It was $80-ca on a 3 year plan placing it in the middle price range of the three phones but it feels so good in your hand; and runs on Android 2.1 (update expected in September 2010).

After using the HTC Legend for a month I highly recommend it.

Android Apps that I uninstalled.

WiFi Analyzer







Tried this out and really like it. So why uninstall? The program runs ads and a paid ad free version according to site is never coming. You can shut off the ads a week at a time. Not even sure on the real cost of the running ads but it's $0.05 a kb for data here. I would rather pay for the app without ads than have to try and remember to shut off ads all the time.



I also tried out Picasa Tool Pro

After several attempts at logging in I finally gave up and uninstalled.  The option of logging in through there 3rd party sign in method didn't give me a good feeling.  Google has a Mobile version of Picasa anyways.
The app does look really nice though, but not for me.

Android 2.2 FroYo for HTC Legend

HTC has confirmed that it's HTC Legend will get the FroYo upgrade.

The upgrade will be done anytime in the 3rd quarter of the on-going year,

which is September to you and me.

Android 2.2 will offer greatly increased speed for applications and web browsing due to a brand new “virtual machine” for apps and Javascript engine for the web browser. Apps will run 2 to 5 times faster than with Android 2.1, and the web browser’s Javascript support will be 2 to 3 times faster as well. Adobe Flash 10.1 (and Air) support will be included in the update.

Click the quote above for full story.

I can't wait for audible searching and the interface looks much nicer, 

including drop down menus.

Should be sweet, too bad my phones so new or I would root it!

Try FroYo on your desktop.

Android Apps for the HTC Legend

Phone: HTC Legend
Carrier: Virgin Mobile
17 total apps not including pre-installed; 12MB total app size
11 free (65%), 6 paid (35%)
$30.35CA total price
$21.96US + £4.49

• Wifi Analyzer
• Fun and sometimes useful
• Ads can be blocked 1 week at a time
  
• AppBrain App Market
• Where this list was created
• I think it's better than appaware
  
• Meteor Brick Breaker (PAID)
• Recommended Arkanoid Type Game
  
• DoggCatcher Podcast Player (PAID)
• HIGHLY Recommended Stream Catcher
  
• NetCounter
• Recommended
  
• ClipNote - Clipboard Monitor (PAID) Free Available
• Recommended
  

• tvJunkie
• Recommended; great for tracking TV shows
  
• CallTrack
• Tracks cell calls
  
• SNesoid (PAID) Free Available
• Hardly use
  
• PhoneMyPC (PAID)
• If you need remote access
  
• Advanced Task Manager (PAID) Free Available
• Recommended
  
• ASTRO File Manager
• Recommended
  
• Google Maps
• Recommended
  
• Scoreboard
• A sports ticker, highly customizable and nice looking
  
• Battery Life
• Bigger, better battery widget
  
• Ringdroid
• Make ring tones from songs on your phone
  
• FingerPaint
• Finger paint on your phone
  

"(PAID) Free Available" usually means a free version with ads is available.
If the price is right I'll pay for ad free.

View above app list on AppBrain

Tried and removed:

• TWiT.tv by Mediafly
• using DoggCatcher to get these great podcasts,
• this is great if you want to stream from the TWIT Network
  
• WikiMobile Encyclopedia
• Use Wiki Mobile Online
  
• MixZing MediaPlayer
• Didn't work as advertised, using DoggCatcher
• and built in media player
  
• Barcode Scanner
• Fun for awhile... but "for why???"
  
• Tech Buzz Widget
• Again, using DoggCatcher to grab some RSS tech feeds
• Nice but minimal and can't change to keep my HTC stylin'
  
• Buzz Deck
• OK, tried to use for some web pages, browser is bettter
• For gossip folk, MSNBC News Feed on DoggCatcher got
  
• the Lindsay Lohan news faster than BuzzDeck
  
• Zimly Media Player
• Another Media Player, Looks good
• Using HTC built in player
  
• Dice Widget
• DL from HTC; looks great, works great
• will DL again if I ever need dice, but don't
• need to keep on phone
  
• ShopSavvy (EVO fix)
• Never used, finally uninstalled, maybe try later
  
• Epocrates
• OK, Drug Info, Not much else
• No real use
  

Missing in Canada on the Android Market are:

Google Earth & Audible