Rants and Raves

Several weeks ago I purchased a Motorola Xoom (WiFi only model), I’d looked at the Acer, the Asus, the Samsung, and read up on the Thrive — I decided that the Xoom was the best candidate of the available Android/Honeycomb tablets available now.

I’m happy with my purchase, and it’s amazing how quickly a “gadget” can find its way into your everyday life.

I will write a lengthy review of the Xoom to let you know everything I like about it, and the things I really don’t think are that great… plus I’ll write a post on my rooting adventure (after all, it’s Android, why wouldn’t you root it).

Let me just close with it’s a great tool, and if you’re willing to carry something like that with you it gives you incredible access to books, news, entertainment, information…

I do expect that prices for 10″ tablets will continue to come down… but I’d definitely recommend you only consider a dual-core (or better) tablet.

Originally posted 2011-08-03 02:00:04.

Tags: Android, Communications, Computers, Hardware, Technology by roger
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I picked up a Motorola Xoom MZ604 (US WiFi only) several months ago when the prices dropped (actually a package with a few accessories), and another a week or so ago when Target put the Xoom and portfolio case on sale for $399…  The Xoom runs Honeycomb (Android 3.2).

I also picked up two of the Vizio VTAB 1008 about the same time I purchased the second Xoom at Sam’s Club when they dropped the price to $194 (I got the Vizio cases at Walmart for $19 each since I didn’t care for the accessory package Sam’s Club had — or the price).  The VTAB runs Gingerbread (Android 2.3).

And yes, I have two Motorola Droid A855 handsets as well — so I currently have six Android devices; and I’ll consider a quad-core running Ice Cream Sandwidth (aka ICS, Android 4) when those come out.  My Droid is running Gingerbreak (Android 2.3) — and, no, it’s not an official release; the official release for a Droid is Froyo (Android 2.2),

I’ve rooted the Droid, the Xoom as well as the VTAB; and I’ll write up a review for each of the Xoom and the VTAB in the next several days and get them posted (if you really want a solid, reasonably priced Android handset with a slide out keyboard, the Droid, or the Droid 2, or the Droid 2 Global are great alternatives; but I see no need to review devices that are not currently produced or nearing end-of-life).

There are a lot of tablets out there on the market; but the Xoom is a great dual core 10.1″ tablet, and the VTAB is a pretty good buy for a single core 8″ tablet.

Now keep in mind that all 8″ (and 7″) tablets aren’t the same.  Many do not have GPS or Bluetooth.  Not only does the Vizio have that, but it also has IR (Infrared) and will act as an entertainment remote control (which I’ll probably toss the Neo Pronto I have aside in favor of just keeping the Vizio handy).

Like I said, I’ll do a complete review on each of the devices; and with the Xoom I’ll contrast and compare it to the other devices I considered.

The bottom line — if you’re looking for a tablet, this is the year of the tablet; there are going to be lots of them offered at very attractive prices over the holiday season, and I suspect you’ll find quite a few even better deals once the CES show announcements hit the press after the first of the year.

Do your homework, and know what you want, and determine what you’re willing to pay.

Tags: Android, Technology by roger
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So you like many PC and Mac users (not really an issue if you use *nix and understand what you’re doing) have had a horrible experience trying to format a SD, SD-HC, or SD-XC full size, mini, or micro card for use in your device… fortunately the SD Association, the people who set standards for these cards are offering a free download of a SD card formatted program for Windows and OS-X… just use the link at the bottom of this post and go to their “downloads” section.

And a few things to keep in mind when you go out to purchase a new SD card — look at the speed ratings, the higher the “class” number on the card, the faster it is.  And take a look at the warranty, life-time warranties are always something you’ll use (flash devices have a limited life), but certainly you’ll want to get a reasonable warranty length (just in case you got the lemon off the shelf I missed).

sdcard.org

NOTE: There’s also a link on the SD Association to a driver to a driver Microsoft provides which may resolve issues with SD-XC memory cards when using an SD-XC compatible reader/writer.

Tags: Android, Computers, Digital Media, Hardware, Linux, Mac, Technology, Windows by roger
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If you’re having trouble writing to your external uSD card in your Motorol Xoom, you’re not alone.

If you’re rooted the device, the solution is fairly straight forward…

Open up a terminal prompt, then type the following three commands:

su

umount /mnt/external1

mount -t vfat -o fmask=0000,dmask=0000,rw /dev/block/platform/sdhci-tegra.2/mmcblk1p1 /mnt/external1

When you type “su” you’ll have to approve privilege elevation.

The umount commend unmounts the uSD card

And the mount command re-mounts the uSD card with read-write privilege.

You’ll need to do this each time your Xoom is booted; and I’m going to see about creating an application that will do this auto-magically.

Once again, this will only work on a rooted Xoom; and this solution is based on reading on xda-developers.com.

I want to give credit where credit was due, but there’s a typo there (mmcblk0p1 rather than mmcblk1p1 — at least that was the device/partition on my Xoom that the uSD card appeared as).

You can determine the correct device on your Xoom by just typing “mount” in the terminal window and locating the device mounted at /mnt/external1.

Tags: Android, Computers, Technology by roger
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First, let me start by saying that any screen protector is better than no screen protector at all on a touch screen; but let me assure you that all screen protectors are not created the same.

Most screen protector vendors will tell you that their screen protector is made from “military grade” PET — and that’s not an expensive plastic, so we’d expect all screen protectors to be made of a layer of PET; but generally better screen protectors have additional layers of materials deposited on them.

The finish of the screen protector greatly affects it’s performance.  Generally you’ll want a matte finish — there are some applications where you may want a glossy finish, but for the most part you will not.  The matte finish will help reduce glare, as well as make those annoying fingerprints less obvious.

The “feel” of the various materials will vary greatly.  I personally like “soft” finishes where I can actually feel the material give slightly.  The extremely hard finishes I find unpleasant; though that would be exactly what you wanted if you were using a stylus.

The method of application will also vary.  Most of the inexpensive screen protectors ship with two thin plastic layers on each side, and one side will have adhesive (that’s generally the one with the “red” label).  Better screen protectors generally use a “wet” application where you use a small amount of fluid provided (which is essentially water and a mild, clear soap).  By far the wet methods are much easier to install and much easier to align perfectly.  Regardless of which application method the screen protector requires it’s important to make sure you clean your touch display so that it is absolutely spotless — which is one reason why you may want to apply the screen protector immediately after opening up the box and removing the protective film on the device.

Finally, check to see if your screen protector comes with a guarantee.  That may change the long term price of what you’re paying for the screen protector (though remember, for warranty claims you’ll likely need to return the screen protector — so there is shipping involved).

What screen protector do I think is the best — Zagg.  Their invisibleSHIELDs have lifetime warranties, a great feel, extremely durable, and easy to install.

But, Zagg screen protectors are expensive… and you just may not want to spend that for a screen protector; so you have to weigh everything I’ve said against your wallet.

But remember — any screen protector is better than no screen protector… so if you can’t justify the price of a Zagg, check your favorite places and find a good price on something that will protect your investment in your phone or tablet.

Tags: Android, Cellular, Computers, Technology by roger
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So you have an Android device… and you haven’t figured out what all you can do with it… hopefully my short list of “must have” apps will help you.

• Google Maps with Navigation – free application from Google that provides turn-by-turn directions.  Provided your Android device has a GPS receiver, and you either pre-plan your routes while connected to WiFi of have a generous (unlimited) data plan, this is definitely an app that’s hard to live without.
• Google Voice – must have way to take control of your phone; used with a Google Voice number it’s a good way to give yourself extra features on your phone for free.  Also, you’ll want Google Voice Callback if you want to take advantage of any numbers you can specify free from airtime.
• Google Music – good selection for most people for a streaming music service.  It’s totally free, allows up to 20,000 songs, and it works well.
• Amazon MP3 – this is a good selection for people with a large amount of music who don’t mind paying $20 per year for the ability to store unlimited songs on Amazon.
• Hacker’s Keyboard – free application that provides a very configurable on-screen keyboard.  While I prefer the slide out keyboard on my Droid, on my Xoom I don’t have that option.  Hacker’s Keyboard allows you to pick between several layouts, as well as control the height of the keyboard in both landscape and portrait mode.  Much better than any other free (or paid) keyboard I’ve found for Android.
• Opera Mobile – the default (crippled) Chrome browser for Android is horrible, and FireFox for Android isn’t any better.  As bizarre as it might seem, Opera Mobile is by far the best browse I’ve found for Android.  It’ll operate in a desktop or micro browser mode, and while on a small screen it might not always be easy to view a web site, Opera Mobile will allow you to.  Opera Mobile does take a little getting used to — but it’s worth it the price (free).  Do not confuse this with Opera Mini, that’s not the version you want.
• Amazon Appstore for Android – nice addition, and the paid app free every day often has a useful application.
• Super Tool Box – a free (or paid for the pro version) application that provides a veritable Swiss army knife of functionality.  A good application to start with to see how many of your needs it addresses.  The pro version was offered as an Amazon paid app for free.
• ezPDF Reader or ezPDF Reader Lite – very good PDF reader, and it was offered as an Amazon paid app for free.
• ShopSavvy Barcode Scanner or Barcode Scanner – applications that allows you to scan the UPC code of an item on a store shelf and get competitive pricing locally and online.
• netTALK Smartphone – free application that allows you to make outbound VoIP calls using WiFi or your data plan.  This app will not work with Honeycomb at the moment.  Using this app does not require a netTALK VoIP (TALK DUO) account, nor at the moment can you integrate it with a netTALK VoIP account
• Dropbox – free application with free cloud storage that allows you to backup your configuration (also, Google backups up some of your device’s configuration when using Gingerbread or newer).
• File Manager or Fiele Manager HD (Honeycomb) – great file manager’s; and I actually prefer the standard File Manager, but this is going to be somewhat a personal preference; both are free.
• Gas Buddy – good tool for finding lower priced fuel when on the road, my only negative comment on this is that it doesn’t interface with Google Navigation (or any navigation), but does provide a map function.
• GPS Test – great little tool to make sure your GPS is working properly.
• Root Checker – simple tool to allow you to check to insure that your device is properly rooted.
• FreeTethering or Wireless Tether for Root Users or Easy Tether or Easy Tether Lite – these apps provide the ability to tether a computer (laptop) to your device; check on which will work with your devices and check your carrier to see if there are any restrictions on tethering.
• ClockworkMod Recovery – replacement recovery system for Android devices; this requires a rooted device, and allows the flashing of custom ROMs.  There are a number of recovery replacements for Android – ClockworkMod Recovery is one of the best, and free.
• ClockworkMod ROM Manager – very nice tool to locate, install, and mange customer ROMs.  The free version will likely do all you need, but I recommend supporting the developer by purchasing the pro key (that also unlocks a few more capabilities).
• Titanium Backup – great application for backing up and recovering applications (a must have if you’re going to flash custom ROMs).  The free version will likely do all you need, but I recommend supporting the developer by purchasing the pro key (that also unlocks more capabilities, and makes it a little easier for you to do restores and backups).

There are many other applications that you’ll probably find useful; but the above list should get you started.  I’ll probably add to this list over time and re-publish it.

I’ll also publish some additional Android resources on eBooks, CAN/ODB II (for your automobile), as well as some rooted device helpful hints.

Tags: Android, Cellular, Communications, Technology by roger
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While loading customer firmware on a smartphone isn’t something new (I did that with my HTC Touch Pro and HTC Touch Pro 2 Windows mobile devices years ago) it is something that is very easy to do with Android handsets.

My Droid A855 (that’s the original Verizon Droid — and I actually have two) with it’s slow 600 MHz ARM processor has been running Gingerbread (2.3) for almost a year; and as of last night the handset I carry has been updated to the third build of Gingerbread.

Why?

Well, Android is far from a finished and polished product; and Froyo (2.2) which is officially supported on the phone lacks a number of features.

To take advantage of a custom ROM you first need to root your phone (which has other advantages besides just allowing you to install a custom ROM, but if you’re going to root — you definitely want a custom ROM).

Once you’ve rooted your device, you can choose between a number of different custom ROMs — I try and go for stability; and I’ve tried a number of different ROMs, CyanogenMod is the one I’ve settled on.

Also, if you purchased an HP Touchpad — CyanogenMod has an Alpha release of Android for you… that may make your tablet a great deal more usable.

CyanogenMod.com

Tags: Android, Cellular, Communications, Technology by roger
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The Libre Office project announced today that they will officially support web browsers, iOS, and Android according to The Document Foundation.

Libre Office which formed from the community open source of Open Office and the work done by go-oo.org has primarily focused on being an office suite for the current times rather than trying to compete with or take market from Microsoft Office, and expanding into venues to support phones and tablets is a reasonable path, and one that many have been asking for for quite some time.

No specific time line has been announced, but there had already been some work done on porting to mobile platforms.

Tags: Android, Computers, Linux, Mac, Software, Technology, Windows by roger
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Google has launched their cloud based streaming music service as a beta; you can request an invitation (using a Gmail account) via the link below.

What does it get you?

Well, up to 20,000 songs in your cloud storage; play back support on most Android devices; play back support from a browser; and an upload program that will sync your library to the cloud.

Not bad for free.

Apple provides a similar service for $25 per year; there’s no limit to the amount of music you can store.  The main differences being that there’s no Android support (basically devices iTunes supports is supported), and Apple actually finger prints the files and serves their iTune version of the music rather than your copy (likely at a higher bit rate — they, of course, don’t incur the storage overhead).

Amazon provides a similar service for $20 per year (you also get some storage for other files); and there’s no limit to the amount of music you can store, but you might find their uploader is a little less friendly to use (OK — to be fair it’s been updated since I tested it — so maybe not).

You can play with the free 5GB version of the Amazon service and decide if you like it, and it’s worth the $20 (I was hoping they’d just bundle it into Prime — but if they’re serious about Hulu they really need to start Al-a-cart charges for services, or Prime is going to have to go up).

Anyway, if you have an Android device, I highly recommend you go ahead and request an invite to the Google Music Beta — you can try the Amazon out as well… if you have an iOS device, you’re probably stuck with the Apple solution (but you’re an Apple customer, so you’re used to having to shell out money for everything).

Also, the Amazon tablets will reportedly ship with a free Prime subscription, possibly a free year of cloud storage might be thrown in as well (that’s speculation on my part).

http://music.google.com/about/

Tags: Android, Communications, Computers, Digital Media, Entertainment, Mac, Music, Technology, Web, Windows by roger
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Just a follow up to my Google TV post… the Logitech Revue Google TV box’s price has been slashed to $99, and it will be updated to run Honeycomb and support a host of new apps.

While the current version isn’t compelling, the new price just might be — at least when Honeycomb actually ships on the Revue and you can do something useful (like run Google Music perhaps).

Google TV

Tags: Android, Communications, Computers, Digital Media, Entertainment, Music, Pictures, Technology, Video, Web by roger
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