Sprint Hero Tips

I've Moved on to the EVO!

2011-02-22T22:04:00.000-08:00

After much work, frustration, more work, and grief, I faced the facts. The Hero is underpowered, has no GPU, and sucked even after all the custom work I did on it.

So I moved on to the EVO, and created a new EVO blog. Hopefully this new EVO blog will be better maintained than this Hero one.

The reality was, I was becoming too frustrated with the Hero to even write about it. But I feel much better writing about the EVO!

More Confirmation about iPhone on Verizon

2010-12-07T09:09:00.001-08:00

It seems like this time, after a few years of bogus rumors, that Verizon will actually be set to get the iPhone in 2011.

They might even pay a bit extra to keep the other carriers out and pay exclusivity fees to Apple.

It's Official - AT&T is the Worst!

2010-12-06T16:39:00.000-08:00

I like the iPhone. I think it's well made. I like Android too. I might have the iPhone today if it weren't for AT&T.

Consumer Reports today made it official about what we've all personally suspected. AT&T is the WORST mobile carrier in the United States.

[source: Boygeniusreport.com]

LG Optimus S - A Great Mid-Level Android Phone, Without the LED Light

2010-12-02T22:14:00.000-08:00

The title says it all. The Android Optimus S by LG on Sprint is almost a great mid-level phone.

But it's missing the LED light. You know, the one on the Hero where it blinks if you have a missed call, email, text, etc.

This Optimus phone by LG is marketed under different names for each carrier. Even Verizon has one, and I tried that out out. It's nice with Android 2.2 and surprisingly snappy. It even had a decent camera, definitely overall better than the Sprint Hero (even my overclocked one with CM6 RC1). The Optimus is a very doable phone for the everyday folk - well, almost.

I know right now it's free with contract, but seriously LG, how much money did you really save by not putting in the tiny little LED light?

I mean, really???

Evidence of iPhone for Verizon?

2010-11-23T09:19:00.000-08:00

If you go into Verizon's website, you'll notice a grayed out reference to "Apple" under Brand/OS. Is this evidence of the iPhone REALLY coming to Verizon??

You Should Be Worried about the future of Sprint's 4G

2010-11-22T10:59:00.000-08:00

I know a lot of people have jumped on the Sprint bandwagon with the EVO and Epic 4G phones. However, what most people don't seem to know is that the future of Clearwire, which builds Sprint's 4G network, is bleak.

Before you sign up for a new 2 year contract, you might want to read the following:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-11-18/sprint-s-technology-lead-at-risk-as-clearwire-faces-cash-crunch.html

It makes me rethink my thoughts on renewing when the HTC Knight comes out, but man, for now, definitely I'm digging paying less than $150 for 3 phones with unlimited data.

More on the HTC Knight Phone

2010-11-21T22:02:00.000-08:00

Dang it, I was hoping it would be a non-4g phone, but it's 4g, which means we'll have to pay the mandatory $10 extra per month for it. But I may still consider it. I'll have to see how that keyboard looks when it comes out.

http://www.bgr.com/2010/11/20/htc-knight-is-a-4g-qwerty-slider-runs-android-2-2/

Amazing MIUI Custom ROM

2010-11-15T20:55:00.000-08:00

So far, many ROMs out there for the Sprint Hero, or any other Android phone for that matter, focuses on very minor changes aimed at making the phone faster, or less bloated. CM6 tries to add some minor new features.

There is a ROM made by someone in China that revolutionizes Android in my opinion. Not only is it fast, it's also got many features, and the UI just looks so refined. Btw, I think the phone is fast not just because of the ROM, it's because of the phone itself, which is a HTC Desire.

Anyways, enough writing about it, check out the video. You'll be stunned at the beauty and novelty, and be even more appreciative if you can read Chinese!

I Admit it - the Hero's Not Even Close to the iPhone

2010-11-13T16:21:00.000-08:00

So here I am with my 1 year old Sprint Hero, rooted, overclocked to 749MHZ, with Android 2.2 with CM6.1 RC1.

But I had a chance to tinker with my buddy's iPhone 4th gen yesterday. That thing is so refined. No stutter or lag whatsoever. Everything is silky smooth. To put it to the test, I even tried to scroll as fast as I could in slideshow mode through his pics to see if I could get any lag. Fast left, fast right, no lag.

Of course, this iPhone is 1 year more advanced than the Hero, but my Hero still can't view photos smoothly. Even with CM6, that's my constant complaint. You can't quickly snap a shot, and then go into gallery and view them fast. It takes literally minutes. It takes about a minute for even all the photos to load, and then each photo takes a few seconds to load up fully on the delivered Gallery app. Yeah, some of you say to use Gallery 2d, but that thing looks like it belongs on Windows 95.

I'm not sure what phone I'll get next yet. It might be the Nexus S (depending on the build quality) or the rumored HTC Knight. But I hope it can do basic things very well, like viewing photos without stutter or waiting.

I'm not against Apple. I love my 2 year old Macbook Pro. I actually like the iPhone, I just hate AT&T.

On a side note, this whole thing got me thinking about multitasking, and if we really need it. Part of the reason why the iPhone is so fast is b/c it doesn't allow true multitasking. I had to ask myself, do I really need it? The only time I think I might need it is if I'm using GPS and then listening to music at the same time. I think the iPhone might already be able to do this (But they don't have free turn by turn Google maps I don't think).

All in all, Sprint is the best option for me b/c of the $ savings. I'm paying less than $150 total for 3 phones on data plans with my family plan. That's about the cost of having 1.5 iPhones. I'm looking forward to an Android phone that can really hang with the iPhone in terms of speed soon on Sprint (without the extra required 4g thank you).

Only Until 11/15/10! AT&T Phone for a Penny at Amazon!

2010-11-12T10:28:00.001-08:00

http://www.bgr.com/2010/11/12/all-att-phones-on-sale-starting-at-1%C2%A2-from-amazonwireless/

What are you waiting for, go now! This includes Android and Windows Mobile 7 Phones too!

Dual Core Nexus 2??

2010-11-12T08:42:00.001-08:00

Androidandme has a rumor that the Nexus S (aka Nexus 2) will be dual-core. Crazy stuff.

But I wonder how battery life would be on a dual-core phone.

Love the New Drop-down Notification Bar in CM6

2010-11-11T22:09:00.001-08:00

CyanogenMod 6 ROM has a sweet customization in the notification bar. It allows you to activate/deactive the Wifi, Bluetooth, GPS and Sound. This customization alone (among the many others) really makes for a great ROM.

First I thought it was not that big a deal, but I find myself using this feature more and more. (Other ROMs don't have it, unless they were based off of CM6 of course)

Looking for a Knight to Save You?

2010-11-11T17:51:00.000-08:00

I'm due for my new upgrade (thanks to being a Sprint Premier customer), but I haven't decided on a phone yet. I've looked at both the HTC EVO and the Samsung Epic 4g, and was quite impressed with both of them, but I got the sense that they just really didn't "fit" me.

First of all, they are both 4G phones, and honestly, I don't have any need for 4G. I'm not in that much of a rush that I want to spend an extra $120/year to get 4G. Plus, 4G is not even officially available yet where I live.

I just want a 3G phone that has similar specs to an EVO or Epic, which doesn't currently exist in Sprint's lineup. They have lower-end phones similar to the Hero, such as the Samsung Intercept and the LG Optimus, and some Sanyo phone I absolutely do not care about. None of them have the faster processors like Samsung's Hummingbird or the Snapdragon. I would also like it not to be super-huge (no man-purse for me, thank you!), and have a usable keyboard.

But lo and behold there seems to be a phone in the pipeline. It's called the HTC Knight per Phonearena.com. It's suspected to have a horizontal slide-out keyboard, and a 3.7" screen.

According to PhoneArena, it's supposed to be the CDMA version of the Desire Z, which sounds good to me. I believe it has the Snapdragon processor.

I hope Sprint announces a date soon!

Apple, Motorola, and HTC Make the Most Reliable Smartphones

2010-11-10T08:52:00.000-08:00

Boygenius reports that according to Square Trade, Apple, Motorola and HTC make the most reliable smartphones. I'm not surprised about Apple and HTC, but the Motorola does surprise me a bit - and I'm not sure why.

Now Running CyanogenMod 6.1 RC1 - with Kernel #15

2010-11-08T10:08:00.001-08:00

If you are a frequenter of XDA Developers, you'll know what I mean by CyanogenMod. Cyanogen, who practically has legendary status already as an Android ROM modder has come up with a Android Froyo 2.2 version of his own, which includes some nice customizations and runs fast. It's also referred to as CM6.

Right now, the latest version is CM6.1 RC1.

I'm running that with a custom overclockable CFS kernel #15 here.

Lastly, I'm using Overclock Widget (free) from the Market which the Screen-on settings of 556800/748800, and Screen-off settings of 245760/480000.

I was not so sure about how much I would hang on to this over the NFX Sense based 2.1 ROM, but so far, I've liked it a lot. Although I'm missing the HTC Camera/Album combination, I'm not missing anything else. One minor annoyance is that I get a voicemail icon on my status bar, even when I don't have any voicemail. But something I can live with. You should give this combo a try if you've rooted your Sprint Hero.

Evernote 2.0 is out - Offline Notes Avail for Premium Users

2010-11-08T09:58:00.000-08:00

Evernote is like my other brain. Anything I can't remember right away, but I know I need to remember, I just shove it in there, everything from work stuff, to car maintenance stuff, etc. I love how everything syncs from my Macbook Pro to my Windows 7 desktop to my Sprint Hero.

They just released a 2.0 version which looks much nicer than the current version.

Everyone's been complaining so far that there is no way to access your notes offline - which means when you don't have internet access, you don't have access to anything on Evernote.

They've added that feature with this new version, however, it's only for Premium users. I know we want everything to be free, but I'd say that's a fair thing. They are a business and need to make money. Here's the Premium pricing info, not too costly at $5 month or $45/year.

Go to the Market on your Android phone and update to 2.0 today - it's very nice.

HTC is Releasing an Official 2.2 Update for the HTC Legend

2010-11-05T13:08:00.000-07:00

Surprisingly, HTC has decided to release a 2.2 official update for the Legend in the upcoming weeks.

This is rather unusual because HTC is NOT releasing 2.2 officially for the Sprint Hero, which has similar specs, and is considered to be an "older model" phone. The Legend only has a 600mhz processor, whereas the Sprint Hero out of the box has a 528mhz processor

http://www.bgr.com/2010/11/05/htc-legend-getting-android-2-2-in-coming-weeks/

In any case, this might be very useful for the developers at XDA, since they might be able to acquire the official kernel from that Legend and port it over to the Sprint Hero.

Let's see what those XDA geniuses come up with.

Warning: Flashing ROMs May be Addicting!

2010-10-19T10:00:00.000-07:00

When I first rooted my Sprint Hero, I didn't know what I was getting myself into - addiction. The beauty of Android is that it's open (not like Apple's iOS) and so developers (esp those at XDA) can hack and tweak anything to death. There have been many great ROMs, especially since the upgrade to 2.1 from Sprint/HTC.

I think I might have flashed about different versions of different ROMs about 20 times or so.

Maybe more. Here's my history:

Stock > Fresh 1.5 ROM v1.1 > DamageControl 2.1 ROM v1.0 > Fresh 2.1 ROM v2.0d > IC3ROM v.2.2 > IC3ROM v2.6 > Back to v2.5 b/c of wakelock bug in 2.6 > Fresh 2.1.1 > IC3ROM v2.7 without Dconfig, JIT off> Fresh 2.3.3 with toast's overclock kernel > IC3ROM v2.7 with JIT on PRL 60668 > ZenHero lite 2.2 RC1, JIT off, PRL 60670 > NFX Hero, JIT off, PRL 60670 > CM6

I'm definitely not the only one. There are XDA members who probably flash a new version every day. There are so many things that can be tweaked on and Android, that if you love customization, Android is the way to go. You'll have support from all the great developers/members in XDA.

Anyways, what I'm running as my latest version is the latest nightly build of Cyanogen Mod, aka CM6. I'm also using kernel #9.

It's been almost stable so far. I say almost b/c I get random issues at times. For ex, sometimes the GPS doesn't want to lock, and it says "searching for GPS" forever. I also get a weird vmail icon in my status bar, even though I deleted all my voicemails. My latest issue is that I could send SMS, but could not receive any. I'm still scratching my head over that one, and trying to fix it as I speak.

Sometimes, when I think about how many times I flash just to fix these kinds of minor issues, even though it's fun and educational, I wonder if I would be better off with a phone that just works (yes, I'm talking about the iPhone). I haven't decided if all this flashing is educational and good, or simply a waste of time.

I might just end up giving up on CM6 and going back to the reliable nfinite Sense ROM I posted about earlier.

Ok, time to do a nandroid restore to flash to another ROM!

Android is like Pee According to Nokia Exec

2010-09-21T12:08:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, people are stubborn because they don't want to lose. Anssi Vanjoki seems to prove this very fact with what he just said about using Android.

The full story on Engadget

Google Docs Edit Feature Coming to Android

2010-09-21T11:46:00.001-07:00

Google seems to be methodically integrating their Google modules with Android. First it's Tasks, and now it's Google Docs.

jkontherun.com reports that Google is working on allowing Docs to be edited on Android and also the iPad in the next few weeks.

I'm getting excited about this potential, as so far, there were only apps on the market that either synced one way or was just read-only into Google Docs.

GTasks - the Answer to My PIM Need

2010-09-21T11:38:00.000-07:00

I ranted awhile back about the need for a Task app that would sync with Google Tasks. Well, someone has made one since.

It's called GTasks.

I've been using it for awhile, and it's great. It syncs beautifully with my Google Tasks, and it's free (ad-supported of course). You can buy the ad free version for $6.99, which I think is too steep. I personally think it should be about $1.99. Then more would be sold, and the dev would make up the difference in volume.

I suggest you get it in the Market.

Now Google, please make the Tasks module a bit more robust. Please!

My Favorite 2.1 Custom Hero ROM

2010-09-02T21:04:00.001-07:00

OK, I've been through a lot of ROM's now, and I've decided on my favorite so far. I've even tried the 2.2 Froyo custom ROM, but I've decided that I can't give up the HTC Camera and its PhotoAlbum.

My favorite ROM now is the ZenHeroFX Lite.

It's got everything I need, and it's fast! Right now, I can't seem to decide between using Sense or not, as I've decided to go ahead and buy the LauncherPro Launcher app for $2.99 (mainly to support the developer, not to get the pro features, which I don't really use).

You might want to wait before you jump into this ROM, however. User nfinitefx45, who created the ROM is apparently coming out with an updated version soon.

But this ROM is good enough for stable, daily use.

Btw, I don't suggest turning on JIT. It's not stable. Particularly when you're using Google Map's Turn by turn mode in Navigation, on my phone, it almost always freezes, and/or reboots.

How to Root the 2.1 Stock Android on the Sprint Hero

2010-08-05T16:38:00.001-07:00

I take no credit for this, just posting the link to XDA. Basically the way to root your Hero differs based upon if it was delivered with 1.5 or with 2.1.

The method to root if your phone was delivered with 1.5.

The method to root if your phone was delivered with 2.1.

Good luck - I've rooted and played with about 10 ROMs, and it's not easy to brick it. I've never had issues. (But don't blame me if you mess up your phone!)

Froyo and the Sprint Hero

2010-08-05T12:53:00.000-07:00

Lifehacker just posted a great article on the benefits of Froyo. However, the fact is that Sprint will not officially roll out Froyo for the Sprint Hero or for the Samsung Moment.

So if you want Froyo, your only avenue now of accomplishing that is to root your Hero. If you root it, you can go grab the unofficial Froyo ROM by darchstar for the Sprint Hero.

I've actually tried out this Froyo myself, but I reverted back to my current IC3ROM version 2.8 with JIT off. This version of Froyo includes no Sense UI by HTC, and is pretty much vanilla Android 2.2 or (AOSP as some call it).

Although it was fast, and had all the new features, what it was missing was a dealbreaker personally for me. First of all, the AOSP camera on it doesn't work. You have to download an app called Camera Magic for a working camera - decent, but not great. On top of that, it's missing a good photo album app. I need a good working camera and a nice photo album app. I haven't found a better camera app than the one delivered by HTC nor a better album app than HTC's. The ROM includes a 3D Gallery app, but because of its visually heavy features, it's painfully slow.

Even if you port those apps over into Froyo, they won't work, because they depend on the Sense UI.

I must have tried about 10 different ROMs already - and each time, I've gone back to IC3, because I like the AOSP look, while it retains the Sense framework, which allows for the HTC Camera and Album apps to work. One thing I am not happy about with it however, is that it only lasts from about 8am to 9pm without a charge on moderate use. This is including the undervolted kernel that I've put on top of it.

As you can tell, I've been perusing around the XDA developers' site a lot and learning a lot also.

But I'm still looking forward to that "perfect" ROM. It may just be that I need an Android phone with better hardware and a physical keyboard.

How to Check Your Sprint Upgrade Eligibility Date

2010-07-27T16:28:00.001-07:00

Sprint recently upgraded their website, and it's rather annoying. Although it looks nice, and has flash, the usability of the site is horrible.

Anyways, I just wanted to verify one simple information on my phone. When can I upgrade my phone?

When I used to be with Verizon, it was right there on the website as soon as I logged in. Simple.

With Sprint, I had to go into the Support section and search, and I found this as a popup hyperlink - almost missed it.

Anyways, click here to check your eligibility. No need to login.

Here's the full url if you want it:

https://manage.sprintpcs.com/specialoffers/RebateWelcome.do?id12=UpgradeLanding_CheckUpgradeEligiblity

Party Like It's 1999! - With Palm Graffiti for Android

2010-07-18T16:34:00.000-07:00

I couldn't believe that someone actually went ahead and created this app that allows for old school Graffiti - a la my Palm PDA (PDA's? what are those???).

I decided to install it and wow, I was surprised by how I was able to write Graffiti still with my fingertips! It actually works pretty well, but of course, it's not as fast as Swype or anything like that. I think mostly, it's a good app when you want to feel nostalgia.

Check it out at AndroidCentral.com

Best Buy's Mobile Phone Upgrade Checker

2010-06-29T18:25:00.000-07:00

I stumbled on to this, and I think it's pretty neat. It's ironic considering how much I dislike Best Rip-Off, I mean, Best Buy.

Best Buy has a site where you can check your upgrade eligibility for the 4 major US carriers - AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile:

Check your eligibility

Samsung Galaxy S Pro = Sprint's Epic 4G

2010-06-29T18:09:00.000-07:00

Engadget has a preview of the new Samsung Galaxy S Pro with the slide out keyboard. It will be called the Epic 4G. I like the name.

Samsung is launching this Galaxy S with different names under different carriers. Only Sprint has the version with a slide out keyboard.

AT&T = Captivate

T-Mobile = Vibrant

Verizon = Fascinate

I'm really looking forward to using my Sprint Premier privilege of getting a new phone each year. I'm due for an upgrade sometime in August this year!

I hope Samsung however, commits to keeping up with Android's updates. They have a bad track record, where they are not keeping up with the latest Sprint updates. They did do a 2.1 update for Sprint's Moment, but believe it or not, with the Samsung Behold II, they are just getting around to updating to Android 1.6 Donut.

Yep, 1.6.

Samsung must have heard enough, and have committed to saying all Galaxy S phones will get Android 2.2, but the big question is, will they support anything after that?

I think a good resolution for Android phones is to perhaps support it for 2 years worth of upgrades after the initial release. Otherwise, this can have potential to get messy.

By the way, you can sign up to get notified when the Sprint's Epic 4G becomes available.

I "think" This is the Phone I Want Next

2010-06-21T22:11:00.000-07:00

The upcoming Samsung Galaxy S Pro has what I've concluded that I need.

It's an upcoming Android phone with nice specs and a real hardware keyboard. I do enjoy Swype, but when it comes down to it, typing longer entries that include non-American names and acronyms require a hardware keyboard.

I also want to be able to play around with some Terminal type apps from the Market, and I can't do that unless I have a hardware keyboard.

The EVO is too large, and only has a soft keyboard.

The upcoming Samsung Galaxy S Pro is slated to be 4" with a horizontal slide out keyboard. It's also supposed to have Super AMOLED, which is supposed to have more vivid colors than LCD while using less energy.

Here's an article from intomobile.com that compares (unscientifically) the new iPhone 4G's display versus Samsung's Super AMOLED.

If You Want a White EVO, Preorder at Best Buy Today

2010-06-19T10:23:00.001-07:00

If a black EVO is too common for you, and you want to stand out, you can pre-order the WHITE EVO, slated to be released on July 11th via Best Buy

[Source: Engadget]

The Apple Owner Experience

2010-06-16T22:32:00.000-07:00

I found this on Digg.com. It's too true to life.

What It's Like to Own an Apple Product

The Droid X - Bigger than the EVO

2010-06-16T10:11:00.000-07:00

I guess the trend for phones now is "large and in charge"?

The Motorola Droid X is slated to be out for Verizon later this month. It's got a 4.4" screen (compared to the 4.3" on the EVO).

Here's the Engadget Preview of it.

But I refuse to buy such big phones, b/c I refuse to buy a man purse!

Still Looking for a Perfect PIM Solution a la Old School Palm

2010-06-15T17:10:00.000-07:00

So far, I'm very pleased with my Hero. I've gone through quite a few ROMs since I rooted, and have practically become a ROM addict. I'm currently on the IC3 ROM, version 2.7.

However, one thing still remains a disappointment.

It's not really just one thing actually. It's the family of features that allow for a integrated PIM, or Personal Information Management system.

The old school Palm PDA's and their associated Palm Desktop software had it.

It was:

1. Calendar

2. Contacts

3. Tasks

4. Notes

I know that I can get these individually via apps in the Market.

Calendar and Contacts:

Calendar and Contacts are not a problem generally, except that the Google contacts module, which is built into Gmail still sucks. You can enter them individually, but it does not support easily importing a slew of contacts from another system. I had to enter mine manually online! I hated that part. With Palm Desktop, you could import based on a csv file. Yeah, it was a bit tricky, but I loaded about 250 contacts with relative ease after figuring it out.

Tasks:

Tasks, I can have dealt with via Astrid. It's free and in the Market. You can even sync it to rememberthemilk.com, a nice task manager with a long url. You can even have a little widget type box in your gmail. I'm not sure why Google hasn't done this yet, but they should really allow outside syncing with their own tasks module, which is found at www.gmail.com/tasks. I personally don't like how Astrid doesn't integrate with Google tasks. I'd rather not have to login to another website in order to see my tasks.

Notes:

There are a lot of good notes apps out there on the market. For awhile, I used "Note Everything" which had awesome features like handwritten notes, etc, but it didn't sync to anything. I am currently using 3banana notes, which is loaded with features, and even syncs. But alas, like Astrid, it doesn't sync over to docs.google.com or notebook.google.com (the development of google notebook was killed by the way, but they just leave it out there). It syncs to 3banana.com. Yet another website to log into in order to view my notes.

In addition, I miss how I could set some notes as "private" in my Palm PDA and Desktop software. I can't find anything that does this right now in the Android market. This way, I could store sensitive info like passwords or journals entries.

The main point I'm trying to say I guess is that I'd like one integrated way to view my PIM features on my desktop and my phone, similar to how I had it with Palm Desktop and my PDA. I don't want my data fragmented with different logins required.

Google has all the features to support PIM well, they just aren't doing it. I guess it's not a high priority?

In summary, Google needs to do the following:

1. Enhance Google Tasks - make it its own website, and make it at least as good as Palm Desktop with priorities and such. It really wouldn't take a lot of work. And allow syncing of third party software like Astrid.

2. Allow for syncing of notes apps in the Market to notebook.google.com . I know some notes apps do one way syncing to docs.google.com, but I'm looking for 2way syncing.

3. Allow some widgets in iGoogle so that I can view all my PIM stuff in one customized browser window!

I don't think any of these are that challenging technically. Google, can you please listen to an "old school" guy like me that still misses the PIM features from my Palm PDA??

How's the Ring Lag after the 2.1 Update for You?

2010-06-14T20:56:00.001-07:00

I wrote before on the 2+ ring lag on the Sprint Hero. Basically, if someone calls you, they hear about 2 or more rings before the Hero itself actually rings.

I had a theory that it was due to Android 1.5 not officially supporting CDMA, and perhaps that being a reason. However, after a few tries, I found that perhaps it's not the reason after all.

I'm currently on the IC3 2.1 ROM, version 2.7. I tried before with the Fresh 2.1.2 ROM also, but when I call myself from a different landline phone, I hear exactly 2 rings before the Hero starts ringing.

What are your findings? Please name the ROM you're on, and also the state if possible. I'm in California.

Fring - Video Calling on Your Android Phone

2010-05-27T21:54:00.000-07:00

First of all, no you can't do video phone calls a-la George Jetson on your Sprint Hero, because it doesn't have a front facing camera.

But, if your Android phone does, you will be able to use Fring from the Market, and use it free for a video call. I'm not sure how long it will remain free, however.

So if you're planning to go get the HTC EVO, which has a 1.3MP front facing camera, this should be one of the first apps to download and play with!

[Source: Androidguys.com]

52 WPM on the iPhone! Just a Wish for Hero Owners

2010-05-27T15:16:00.001-07:00

This guy types insanely fast - 56 WPM on his iPhone. Note the lack of lag on the iPhone's keyboard.

There is no freaking way that anyone could even attempt to type that fast on the Sprint Hero. I've tried different keyboards - XDA, Stock Keyboard with HTC, AOSP Keyboard. There is ALWAYS a lag, and it drives me crazy. It's the main thing (other than the slow slow shutter speed on the Camera) that I have utter hatred for against the Sprint Hero.

I've also tried Swype, but I don't like it because it's a pain when you have to type something that is not in the dictionary. The "swyping" is cool, but a pain when you're trying to type in urls, or people's non-American names, etc.

What's your best solution so far?

Browser Speed Test: iPhone vs Nexus One with Froyo vs HD2 with Opera

2010-05-27T14:35:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure how fair this test is, but interesting. This test is with Adobe Flash off.

Palm's Design Guru Goes to Google

2010-05-27T09:43:00.000-07:00

It's not a good sign when the main design guru for your company leaves for another competing one - especially if that company name is Google.

Matias Duarte is leaving Palm for Google, obviously to work on Android.

I think this is a huge boost for Android, considering that what Android seems to lack at this point is not features, but really that sense of refinement in the user interface. It looks a little plain compared to WebOS. I think Android overall is a better operating system, but the user interface for WebOS I believe is more refined and elegant.

Looks like that will all change with Duarte on board. If he can bring something as simple and attractive as "cards" for multitasking to Android, that would be a welcome addition.

[Source: Engadget]

Everything You need to Know About Android 2.2 (for now)

2010-05-26T23:37:00.000-07:00

Android 2.2 will be called Froyo, since 2.1 was called Eclair. They're going down the alphabet with different desert names.

Android 2.2 will have JIT enabled, called Just In Time. What matters really for us is that it will dramatically speed up how fast Android runs.

It may even be that Eclair will even have our Hero's run faster, in spite of our lack of a Snapdragon processor like the HTC Incredible/EVO.

Androidcentral has the quick info you need to know for now regarding performance of 2.1 vs 2.2.

Google has officially posted a video on Froyo and the new goodies in 2.2.

Enjoy your new dessert. I'm looking forward to a hacked, working version of Froyo showing up on XDA.

HP WebOS Tablet Slated for October?

2010-05-22T09:56:00.000-07:00

According to Engadget, HP has allegedly affirmed a October 2010 release of the WebOS tablet. I'd say that's pretty fast, consider HP just only recently bought Palm. Seems a bit too ambitious for me to be true.

Envying My Coworker's HTC EVO 4G

2010-05-22T08:32:00.000-07:00

I was at lunch the other day and my friend who's a developer pulled out, yes, a HTC EVO 4G. He's not that into Android, and owned a Blackberry, but he scored this free by going to the Google I/O conference. He had just recently got a Verizon MotoDroid last month!

Of course, I had to ask him if I could see it. It feels sturdy. The screen is amazing. I felt like I was holding a small TV. The resolution was just incredible. It also took a good picture indoors - it wasn't as blurry as when I try it with my Hero.

It's also incredibly fast and it doesn't stutter or lag in any way because of the Snapdragon processor of course. My eyes were big with envy while playing with it.

However, playing with it left me with doubt about if I should get it when my upgrade time comes this October. It's too big. I can't imagine it fitting in my pants pocket without being noticed. It's too wide and too long, the depth of it isn't too bad.

I wish they would make one with the same specs with about a 3.7" screen. That would be perfect. I hope there's on in the horizon for Sprint.

Stunning HTC EVO 4G Review by Engadget

2010-05-19T22:21:00.000-07:00

We had exciting news today (for unrooted Hero owners) about the Android 2.1 upgrade from Sprint/HTC.

However, more exciting than that is the HTC EVO review by Engadget. It does seem a little too big to fit in my hand, considering I'm not going to buy a man-purse to carry one of these around.

Sprint Hero Dimensions:

4.46 x 2.22 x .54 inches (113.2 x 56.4 x 13.8 mm) \
4.5 ounces

HTC EVO Dimensions:

Dimensions: 4.8 x 2.6 x .5 inches
6 ounces

Do you mind the extra bulk and size?

Newbie Android Terminology and Definitions

2010-05-19T20:02:00.000-07:00

If you've been trying to understand the different terms that people use on various Android forums, you should check out this post where a user "Sam Fisher" has defined most of the terminology

Official 2.1 Sprint Hero ROM is Finally Here

2010-05-19T11:23:00.000-07:00

Enough said. Here's the link to HTC's site w/ the ROM. Remember that applying this will mean that you will lose root.

Here's Sprint's link to the 2.1 download. The HTC one above was down for me at the moment.

2.1 Update is Available for Sprint Samsung Moment

2010-05-13T15:16:00.001-07:00

AndroidCentral reports that the 2.1 Android update is out for the Samsung Moment.

This is a day early.

EVO 4G vs Nexus One vs Moto Droid

2010-05-13T10:54:00.000-07:00

Here's a useful specs comparison between the HTC 4G EVO, the Nexus One, and the Motorola Droid.

The 1280 by 720 (HD) video recording of the HTC EVO is going to be amazing. But I'm concerned about the battery life of this high end HTC EVO 4G with all its features.

HTC EVO 4G - June 4, 2010

2010-05-13T10:14:00.000-07:00

The date is here. June 4th, 2010 = EVO.

Note that they will charge you an extra $10 for the 4G speeds, but Engadget implies it's well worth it.

[Source: Engadget]

Verizon's Eris Receiving Android 2.1 Update

2010-05-12T11:10:00.000-07:00

Verizon's Eris, which is the sibling of the Hero, is receiving the 2.1 update today. Sprint's Hero in the meantime is still in the pipes.

All in all, I think this affects only those of you that are afraid to root the Hero. If you've rooted, you're already getting a taste of 2.1 and it's awesomeness. I'm currently on the IC3ROM v2.6 and it's working out nicely.

Note that if you're already rooted, you can't get the Sprint Android 2.1 update unless you go back to stock.

Also, if you choose to go back to stock and receive the official Sprint 2.1 update, you will lose root access. So if you're rooted, I highly recommend that you wait until the XDA developers do their magic by cooking up a better version based on the official release.

HTC Complains that Apples Has Violated 5 of its Patents

2010-05-12T11:06:00.000-07:00

HTC shoots counter fire against Apple's lawsuit. Seems this one will drag out. Clearly, Apple's afraid of Android and is suing HTC to see how it will pan out, before it goes after Google.

I have a feeling that Google will somehow lend its support to HTC.

[source: Gizmodo]

iPhone Survey Results

2010-05-10T21:31:00.000-07:00

I asked what you readers would do if the iPhone came to Sprint. The results are not surprising. Most of you drool and wait for the HTC EVO 4G.

WebOS Slate Expected

2010-05-10T17:51:00.001-07:00

As we suspected, HP insiders say a WebOS HP Slate is on the way. This explains the reason why the HP Slate was cancelled recently.

There's no doubt that they are working on a Slate that runs WebOS in order to compete with the iPad. But HP needs to keep the following in mind. Apple already has an established ecosystem with iTunes and a gazillion apps in place. WebOS pales in comparison.

I believe in order to succeed, HP needs to focus its Slate on what it can accomplish, as opposed to what it can consume. The iPad in the end is focused on entertainment and information consumption. Although there is a keyboard, it's not entirely targeted as a "get things done" device, as the now defunct Courier was intended to be.

Maybe HP can somehow focus the Slate on being like the intended Courier rather than the iPad to distinguish itself.

WebOS has potential - it just needs to mature.

One thing I'll call out as a side rant. Make it reboot in less than 2 mins. The reboot time is ridiculous!

Android Sales Spike - Others Even, or Trending Downward

2010-05-10T16:39:00.000-07:00

Boygeniusreport.com has a nifty graph that shows the sales of different mobile platforms. Android has spiked up significantly, overtaking the iPhone even. In a way, it's not surprising.

Mobile OSX is only for Apple's iPhone, strictly on AT&T for now. However, we have a plethora of companies in combination with different carriers for Android. Samsung, LG, Dell, HTC and some big name makers of Android phones. Also, all the major US carriers have an Android phone: Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile and even AT&T. It was bound to happen.

Palm's WebOS? We hardly knew you... Hope HP can revive you somehow.

Sprint - The Obvious Happens. No Nexus One Because of EVO 4G

2010-05-10T12:49:00.001-07:00

As you all well know, the HTC EVO 4G is the next Android "superphone" slated to come out for Sprint. Awhile back, however, Sprint had been in line to receive the Nexus One.

But since the EVO 4G does everything the Nexus One does, but also has 4G, the Nexus One has already become irrelevant, according to Engadget.

Could the Nexus One have been the most hyped, discussed phone ever to be so quickly dismissed?

I think it is.

Word from Sprint: 2.1 is Still Slated for Q2

2010-05-07T13:43:00.001-07:00

Oh there were so many rumors. The latest one was that the Android 2.1 update for the Sprint Hero and Moment were supposed to be out today. Wrong again! What's new?

Engadget came across an official sprint update regarding this.

People are impatient. Everyone's thinking "Why don't they rush to get this out?"

Let me provide some perspective from Sprint on this 2.1 update. They have no real incentive to update you to 2.1 ASAP. You already bought your phone. Sprint already made their money. Actually, they would rather you be impatient and ticked off, and buy the HTC EVO, so they can make more money.

I don't agree with how long they are taking, but to be fair, HTC and Sprint did both say by Q2 of 2010.

That usually means June 30th. That's my prediction.

Leaked Sprint 2.1 ROM

2010-05-06T23:52:00.000-07:00

Androidcentral.com's 'gbhil' somehow got his hands on a leaked Sprint 2.1 ROM. No one's sure if it's the final version (it was posted on 4/10/2010), but at the very least, it's mature enough.

You have 4 options:

1. Get the ROM on to your Hero without any concern about root. You'll probably never be able to root your Hero again.

2. Rooted version.

3. Rooted with custom kernel version

4. Rooted and lite version

Go get all the details here on the Androidcentral forum post.

Informative Article on Multitasking on Different Phone Platforms

2010-04-29T15:10:00.000-07:00

Gizmodo has posted a great article on how different platforms (Apple, Android, Windows Mobile 7, Palm) stack against each other in terms of how they handle multitasking.

Multitasking doesn't work exactly like your Mac or PC.

Read all the details here.

HP Buys Palm

2010-04-28T13:36:00.000-07:00

HTC should have, but HP buys Palm! I hate HP. I had two horrible experiences with their laptops.

I think they make horrible hardware, just like Palm. Bad match. We'll see how that goes.

Microsoft's on the HTC-suing Bandwagon

2010-04-28T12:52:00.000-07:00

Not only is Apple suing Android (under the cover of suing HTC), but Microsoft is also claiming that Android violates its patents. Lawsuit coming? Don't know.

One thing's for sure - everyone's afraid of Android.

YouTube Video on How to Root Your Sprint Hero

2010-04-27T22:19:00.000-07:00

If the written instructions aren't good enough, here's a great video on how to root your Sprint Hero by user 'theresthatguy' on YouTube:

You really have no excuse not to root! And go ahead and try out those 2.1 ROMs. I've tried 4 different ROMs and have had zero issues so far.

My secret is that I don't use apps2sd, which requires additional formatting of your microSD card and may corrupt your phone.

Read this on more apps2sd information by flipz, the guy who does the Fresh ROMs.

All Currently Available Custom ROMs for the Sprint Hero

2010-04-27T13:44:00.001-07:00

If you've rooted your phone already, it's time to try out different ROMs. So far, I've tried the following:

Fresh 1.1 (Custom Android 1.5 ROM)
DamageControl v1.0 (Custom Android 2.1 ROM)
Fresh 2.0d (Custom 2.1 ROM)
fixxxedROM (Custom 2.1 ROM)

I'm currently on the IC3ROM, and it mostly looks vanilla, meaning the UI isn't HTC Sense, but Android 2.1 stock. I'm enjoying it so far, for the 3 hours that I've been on it.

If you're wondering if there's one page you can go to to see all the ROMs, they're here on this wiki page in XDA.

The question that everyone asks is, "What's the best ROM?"

Apart from speed, that's a very subjective question. And the XDA forum members hate you asking that. The short answer it, try it yourself!

Always remember to do a "Nandroid backup" in recovery mode, and then a "Wipe and Reset to Factory Settings" before flashing on your new ROM. Nandroid is a full backup procedure, and you can go back to it if you don't like your new ROM.

Solution for Gmail Not Syncing in Android 2.1

2010-04-27T10:13:00.000-07:00

If you're running a custom 2.1 ROM on your Hero and you find that your Gmail has for some reason, stopped syncing (happened to me) then the following is the solution you should follow.

All credit goes to user 'jackal424' in XDA forums. I'm just copying and pasting to this blog for convenience:

1) menu -> settings -> accounts & sync

- click on a sync account and disable individual syncs: contacts, gmail, calendar

- repeat for all accounts

2) Same location as step 1

-disable auto-sync

- then disalbe background data.

3) menu -> settings -> applications

- click on gmail app

- clear cache

- clear data

4) same location as step 3

- click on gmail storage

- clear data

5) Restart phone

6) re-activate sync functions in backwards order of disabling them:

- enable background data.

- enable autosync

- enable individual sync items for each account

Android 2.1 Release Dates for the Sprint Hero and Samsung Moment

2010-04-26T20:00:00.000-07:00

There have been so many announcements regarding the REAL Android 2.1 update release date that it's driven some people crazy and even mad, to the point that all announcements are ignored.

But this one sounds reasonable and legit for some reason.

But don't get mad at me if it's yet another false alarm.

Laptop Quality Comparison by Brand

2010-04-26T15:02:00.000-07:00

I wish they had this laptop quality comparison chart for smartphone companies. I wonder how companies such as HTC, Samsung, LG, and Apple would stand up against each other with regard to quality.

[via lifehacker.com]

Apple Versus Jason at Gizmodo

2010-04-26T14:59:00.000-07:00

Search warrant issued - police are investigating Jason Chen's home. Jason is an editor at Gizmodo. Gizmodo has gotten a lot of attention since they paid $5,000 for the 4th gen Apple iPhone prototype, and it seems like now, they've paid $5,000 for a lot of attention, AND a lot of drama.

Match Made in Heaven Will Not Happen

2010-04-23T00:11:00.001-07:00

Seems like HTC doesn't want to buy Palm. It seems so logical. But maybe HTC believes Palm will lose them too much money. Or, maybe they figure that licensing Palm WebOS is the cheaper route.

Either way, HTC + WebOS would be brilliant, loudly brilliant.

I hope it still happens via licensing.

[Source: Engadget]

Can't Locate Your Android Phone?

2010-04-22T15:35:00.000-07:00

If you've ever misplaced your Hero (or other android phone) you know how frustrating it can be.

There are multiple levels of "misplaced" of course.

1. You swear its in the house, but you just can't find the darn thing. Oh yeah, and you put it on silent mode, so even when you call it, you can't hear it!

2. You have no idea where it is. Maybe at a friend's house?

3. You swear it's stolen.

There are solutions for each of these scenarios.

For #1, all you need to do is to get Where's My Droid from the Market. Basically, you sms (text message) your phone, and even if it's in silent mode, it will ring loudly, so that you can locate it.

It's set to "wheres my droid" as a default sms text to use, but of course, you can change it.

There are 2 versions you can use. One is for 1.5, which the Hero is still on. You have to then download the version for Cupcake (which is the alias for Android v1.5). Search for "Where's my droid cupcake" in the market.

You can also go to Androlib here to find out more details.

Note that there's another version for Android 1.6 and above, and that's here. Just search the market for "where's my droid" for that version.

For the other scenarios 2 and 3 where you have no idea where your phone is, you can actually use the geolocation feature of your Android phone to locate your phone via your PC or Mac.

The first option is using Wavesecure. It's a downloadable app that allows you to locate your phone using your browser, and even backup your stuff. You can even lock and wipe your phone so that your private info is deleted from your phone remotely. These are similar features to MobileMe for the iPhone.

Wavesecure is $19.90 for a one year subscription. I happened to get it free during their free beta promotion, so I was lucky.

I've tried the geolocation thing, and it works fine. You have of course, register at wavesecure.com and install the app. I've never had to remotely wipe yet, but I'm sure it will work.

One caveat to this that if you live outside of Singapore, US and UK, you might incur the international SMS charges from your carrier.

Another FREE option that does something similar to WaveSecure is called Prey.

It was originally developed for laptops and it's open source. It's expanded, creating an app for Android.

However, all it really does is locate your Android phone (or laptop) it doesn't have the backup and lock & wipe features of WaveSecure. But it might be good enough for a start. If you feel that you need more, you might want to go ahead and pay for WaveSecure.

After all, these days, the insurance deductible for a lost phone on Sprint is $100 for Tier 2 Phone, meaning Smartphones. Hero's not on the list, but it's most likely a Tier 2 phone. Combine that with the $7/month premium, and that's expensive.

I personally don't have the equipment insurance on my Hero, it's too expensive and so far w/ these solutions I've been fine.

Knock on wood.

Sprint Premier Customer? Enter to Win an HTC EVO with 4G

2010-04-22T10:55:00.000-07:00

I just got an email stating that I can enter to win an HTC 4G EVO. If you're a premier customer, you might want to enter as well.

Enter to win the HTC 4G EVO!

(In case you can't get to the site directly, the main site is: http://premier.sprint.com/?id9=vanity:premiercustomer)

Off Topic: 40% off Timberland Coupon Code

2010-04-21T09:57:00.000-07:00

40% off Timberland gear!

European Hero Owners Will Have to Wait for 2.1 Until June

2010-04-21T09:36:00.000-07:00

Engadget reports that European Hero owners will see a delay in receiving their update to Android 2.1.

They certainly won't be happy... Google Navigation (Google's version of GPS) certainly rocks on 2.1!

Gizmodo Landed Prototype iPhone by Paying $$ - May be in Trouble

2010-04-20T11:49:00.000-07:00

(pic from gizmodo.com)

There's an interesting story of how Gizmodo landed a prototype iPhone - the next one slated to come out after the current 3GS.

Appleinsider.com hints that Gizmodo may land itself in a lawsuit (I personally doubt it). Gizmodo claims that they didn't know it was stolen, but the fact that they paid $5k (some report $10k) for a fake phone is not so believable.

You can check out the letter from Apple requesting their phone back, and read about how the iPhone was lost in the first place here at Gizmodo's article.

What I thought was wrong was for Gizmodo to name the person that lost it - I'm sure he could have spared himself the shame of the whole world knowing.

But in the web blog business, it's all about hit count, and I'm sure Gizmodo got a lot of hits based on their posts about the next iPhone.

Surprised by the Poll about 2.1 and Losing Root

2010-04-17T14:43:00.001-07:00

So far, 72 people have voted, and 39 of you (54%) have stated that you would risk losing root access for the official 2.1 release.

I'm surprised by this result, as I thought once 2.1 comes out, I'm sure you would find that you'd want to do something like remove stock programs loaded by Sprint, which is not possible without root access.

Maybe those of you that voted for that option really aren't rooted? In any case, the fact of the matter is that many are looking forward to 2.1.

For me? I don't really care. My Fresh Custom 2.1 version 2.0d runs just fine, and I'm enjoying all of the 2.1 benefits now.

Off Topic: Spring Cleaning via Ebay!

2010-04-12T21:22:00.000-07:00

If anyone cares, I'm selling some of my stuff on ebay, now that it's time for spring cleaning.

My Stuff for Sale

Included are:

Lebron James IV Basketball shoes
CK mens pants
Women's Casio Club-G Sport Watch
Custom 120GB external Hard Drive with Leather Case (NTFS formatted)

Palm is Really for Sale!

2010-04-12T13:28:00.000-07:00

It was inevitable.

With not enough momentum or money on their own, Palm is failing. Of course, it didn't help that when they ditched their ACCESS (original Palm OS) and came out with WebOS, that they had the worst commercial campaign ever to launch it. It reminded me of the original Nissan Infiniti launch, where we had no idea what the commercial was about.

Anyways, Palm is officially for sale. Stocks jumped up for PALM as much as 18% today.

I am rooting for HTC - because they badly need each other.

HTC is being sued by Apple (although it's really against Android), and they desperately need an OS of their own.

Palm, they need someone who can make good hardware.

HTC has the hardware, Palm has the software. Make it happen HTC, and you'll surpass Apple!

Swype has World Record in Typing

2010-04-10T21:30:00.000-07:00

The Swype keyboard has set a Guinness world record for a text message.

Check out AndroidandMe's article.

If you want, you can get the Swype Lite version from XDA, which is what I'm using now.

Lost My 25% Discount - Discounts are Not Stackable

2010-04-09T23:32:00.000-07:00

Well, I just post about how Sprint's customer service has improved. And now I get a not so favorable experience that was mostly resolved, but still not so good that I had to go through this at all.

I posted this on the Sprint Community site, but decided to post on my blog also:

---

First of all, I wanted to state that I am NOT complaning, but telling this story to get across what went wrong, and the failure of sprint customer service to prevent this from happening. I got a fairly acceptable resolution in the end, and that's that.

Here's the story. I used to have the old SERO account. When the Hero came out, by that time, I had fulfilled my 2 year contract. I wanted the Hero. So obviously, I thought I could enter into a new 2 year plan, and then get the phone. I specifically wanted to get the new employee plan that replaced it.

According to this site, it was fairly open, and I was going to use his referral to sign up. However, the phone was not yet available through the new plan yet, so I called in, thinking that I could easily switch to the new type of plan.

However, I encountered some problem, stating that my plan would not be eligible for the new Everything PLus plan, b/c my old SERO plan was not setup right. When I asked what the problem was, they stated that whoever did the setup for my SERO plan did it incorrectly.

Obviously, that's not my fault, it was Sprint's. However, I speak w/ the supervisor, and he says he can grant me a 25% discount for the 2 years of my contract. I say okay, and then that was that. I setup the new plan, and got the Hero fine.

I recently found out that I could get a corporate discount of 15% via my work. I obviously thought i could stack the discounts. (we do need to save money these days in this economy!). I talk w/ the sprint rep. She doesn't say anything about this replacing my 25% discount. She says it will be processed, and she was a nice friendly lady.

However, I just find out this past week that the 15% has REPLACED my 25% discount. I email customer service about this, and their only response is that the 25% discount code is no longer in the system, and that it's been replaced by the 15%, and that discounts are not stackable. I cordially ask that I be placed back on to my 25% and they reply again that they can't do that, b/c it's not in the system, and they say "sorry for the inconvenience". This would cost me about $16 extra per month, b/c I'm on a family plan with 3 lines with data. It was more than just in inconvenience, it was extra money out per month for nothing.

I then call customer service, and the rep can't help me, just says they don't have the access to help me, and I am transferred to retentions. The guy tells me that the best he can do is to add $10 credit to my plan to offset it (that's his limit), but I just want to go back to my old 25% discount. He tells me if he could do get me back to the 25% he would, but he can't. I'm having a hard time understanding how the 25% discount could exist on my plan and work fine, but not be added back or at least the new setting reverted. I work in IT myself, these things are possible to fix.

I'm just trying to get him to understand my situation, but he just repeats the same thing over and over, and he asks me if I want to cancel my plan. I ask if I can get 30 days to decide, and if I can take the $10 credit to my plan in the meantime. He says no. I have to either take the $10 credit or cancel. If I take the $10 credit, i would be charged an early termination fee. I can't call and "keep complaining' as he put it.

He asks me if I consider my issue resolved, and I told him, not fully, b/c I wanted to go back to my old 25% discount, and this isn't a full resolution, so he lets me talk w/ his supervisor. The supervisor was more understanding. He looked up what happened with my account. He says the old guy who setup my account set it up wrong (sound familiar?). He says he applied a corporate discount of 25% and he should not have done that and that it no longer exists. At least now I understand what happened. But I tell him that the rep who helped me with the 15% discount should have told me this would replace any existing discount, and that I was never told this. He acknowledged that, and apologizes for the "inconvenience". He agrees to also give me an additional $3 discount for one year, so it would be $10 discount for 24 months and then $3 for 12 months. Also, taking the $10 discount just locked me into another 2 years, but it would not affect my upgrade eligibility according to the supervisor. It wasnt too bad, since I just started the contract again in Oct 2009.

Anyways, that's the best resolution I can get, and I've accepted that. But I find the following troubling:

1. first sprint guy setup my SERO account 'wrong'

2. second sprint guy applied the 'wrong' discount code

3. sprint rep never disclosed (or just didn't know) that the discounts were not stackable, and didn't warn me, which now leads to me paying more $ monthly.

4. they keep talking about the limits of their 'system'. In customer service, you should not be limited by your 'system' but find a way around it. It makes me wonder what kind of 'system' they are using that's so limited.

I find these issues as lacking qualities for any customer service department. I wanted to tell this story to point out that customers should not have to pay for the wrongdoings of the sprint employees.

And secondly for all you customers, don't try to stack discounts! It won't work!

Running Fresh 2.1 Custom Rom - version 2.0d

2010-04-09T16:46:00.000-07:00

I have been too busy at work to update, but basically I switched from the DamageControl 2.1 ROM version 1.1 over to Fresh 2.0d (also Android 2.1).

The DC 2.1 ROM was good for the 2 weeks that I used it, but one main thing annoyed me a lot. It's not the fault of the rom creator 'damageless' but it was the best he could do with what was out there.

But basically everytime I got voicemail, I would get about 3 text messages about it. I'll post screenshots when I get around to it.

This issue no longer happens with the Fresh 2.0d ROM, as it was based of a Sprint 2.1 ROM leak and Visual Voicemail actually works.

To be fair, 'damageless' has made an updated version of his ROM (v. 2.06) that also works with Visual Voicemail, but I am not going to go back to try it out. I want to limit my moves between different ROMs if possible - after all, I do need to make phone calls with it for my daily use!

Without going into too much detail for now, they (meaning the original DC 2.1 ROM vs Fresh 2.0d) are both pretty much the same. A common person would not even notice. They both have no lag, and perform well. I especially like that now I can use apps like Google Goggles and Google Sky. And I love the new version of Google Maps, which has GPS type navigation with voice. Used it numerous times so far!

Sprint Hero Keyboard Round-Up By Android Central

2010-04-09T16:33:00.000-07:00

Androidcentral has done a review of multiple different keyboard options. You should read it, it's a well done review.

As for me, I'm now using Swype-lite, downloaded from XDA.

I was having battery drain issues with the original version released on XDA, but no longer experiencing that with Swype-lite, which was tweaked to make it, well, lighter.

What keyboard are you using?

Interesting Article on Multitasking on iPhone (pre 4.0) versus Android

2010-04-08T11:40:00.001-07:00

I found this blog post while browsing through some comments on gizmodo.com.

It's a good article on why Apple limited multitasking on their OS, and explains how Android does it.

Apple Introduces Multitasking with iPhone OS 4.0

2010-04-08T10:24:00.000-07:00

So far, I'm very impressed. As much as I root for Android, it seems like you can't beat a dedicated group of very skilled, and well-paid people when it comes to implementing features and designs beautifully.

Keep up with the liveblog at Engadget.

Will Android End Up Like WinMo of Old?

2010-04-07T19:56:00.000-07:00

As much as I like my Hero so far, I've had some feelings that reminded me of Windows Mobile (6 and 6.5).

Because Android comes very plain, device makers become compelled to put their own sauce on top, meaning something like HTC Sense, and Motorola Blur. They need to put in something extra to lure customers to THEIR version of Android than one by another device maker.

HTC had already had Sense for WinMo 6 and 6.5, and there were third party companies like SPB, that dressed up WinMo to look nice, or hide WinMo as much as possible - however you want to put it.

But due to these special sauces on top, the overall experience of the operating system itself becomes fragmented. Compare this to Apple, where everyone pretty much knows what the Apple iPhone OS experience is. It's simple and consistent.

I suppose this can be seen as good or bad. It's good for people who like variety. Android coming in stock, with Sense, or Blur can be seen as a choice in flavors, while Apple only comes in vanilla.

But in terms of the update experience, it can be bad, and it has been.

In the example of the Hero, it came out with 1.5, which didn't natively support CDMA. So HTC hacked it to work with Sprint, and then also put Sense on top of it. Then Sprint put on their own apps such as Sprint Navigation (which I do like), NFL Mobile, Visual Voicemail, Sprint TV, and Nascar.

It made Android work for Sprint - a nice looking phone with many features on paper.

But the cost? Fragmentation.

As a result of the time spent in customizing on top of one version of Android, the result was 1.5, 1.6, 2.0 and 2.1 all being out there in the wild. This doesn't bode well for the image of Android. People don't know consistently what the Android experience is. You can do Navigation in Google Maps in 1.6, 2.0 and 2.1, but you can't in 1.5. You also can't use Google Goggles in 1.5. It's confusing to the common person. And when something is confusing, it delays mass attraction to the OS, which the Apple OS was able to do.

Another cost: A delay in updates.

Android 2.1 is slated to be released the 1st half of 2010, but it's going through that same path again, HTC putting their special sauce on top, and then Sprint taking their turn putting in their stuff, and making sure it all works with their network.

These are just some of my thoughts. Pocketnow.com has an article with a similar opinion.

What are your thoughts on this whole issue? Do you think it's a negligible issue?

Do you think it's actually a strength of Android that it can be customized as such?

Alleged Arrival Date of Sprint HTC Evo

2010-04-07T13:48:00.000-07:00

It seems that the HTC Evo with 4G (WiMax) is slated to arrive in mid-June, perhaps June 13th to be exact.

Are you looking forward to the Evo, and will you upgrade?

I think the phone is too big for my hand at 4.3 inches for the screen, compared to the 3.2 inch screen of the Hero that feels just right - at least for me.

[Source: Engadget]

Samsung Moment - 2.1 Testing Has Begun at Sprint

2010-04-06T15:38:00.001-07:00

Seems like someone's leaked pics of Sprint's Samsung Moment being tested with Android 2.1 internally at Sprint.

I think all of us are tired of just HEARING about the 2.1 upgrade for the Moment and the Hero.

Get it out already!

I for one, though, will wait for a custom ROM based on the official update. As for now, I'm happily running Fresh 2.0d with Android 2.1 based on a Sprint ROM leak, which is probably not all tested.

[source: AndroidandMe]

PC Connection Issue: Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit + Sprint Hero + 2.1 Custom ROM

2010-03-31T19:15:00.000-07:00

When I loaded the custom DamageControl 2.1 ROM (version 1.0) onto my Sprint Hero, I noticed a problem with connecting to my PC. I have a fairly new Dell Vostro desktop with Windows 7 Ultimate, 64bit version on it.

Basically, when I tried to 'adb' into the phone (meaning get into the phone via my desktop into the linux structure), I could not.

(adb allows you to do things like navigate inside the phone, copy/move files between your PC and Hero, etc.)

I immediately knew that it was a problem with the driver, but I could not figure out how to get it fixed.

I posted once asking for help on the XDA forum, and despite some advice, I had no resolution. I tried reinstalling the HTC Sync, deleting then reloading drivers, updating the Android SDK, all to no avail.

But recently, someone posted the exact same problem again on the XDA forum, and a user posted drivers for the Windows 7 64bit version of the Sprint Hero.

Basically, it boils down to using the instructions here.

I did the alternate method, where I downloaded the Win7 64bit driver:
HTC Hero driver for 64-bit Windows 7: HTC_Driver_64.zip

Then I manually created a couple of folders (in red) to create the following path:
C:\Program Files (x86)\HTC\HTC Driver\Driver Files\Vista_x64

Then I unzipped the zip file's contents into this path, which gave me the following:

FYI, this is what my device manager window looked like before I got this fixed:

Note the ! mark next to the icon. When I right-clicked to view properties, I got this, which shows the ! next to the ADB entry.

Here's what I did the fix the problem.

Click on Properties.

(The following screenshots, I captured only after I fixed it, so these show how it looks after the fix. But the buttons you have to press are the same)

To update your driver manually, click on Change Settings button here:

Then click on Update Driver here

Then click on 'Browse my computer for driver software,' which should bring you to this:

Click on Next.

Then you should see this!

I tried doing adb after, and now it works fine. And as you can see in my screenshots, I have the new driver successfully installed.

If it's still not working for you, then I suspect it might be a hardware problem. I suggest you try a different USB cable, or a different USB port on your PC.

Wait, I recall now. I had to upgrade my Android-SDK to the latest version. Perhaps that did help, since now we're on Android 2.1, and no longer 1.5.

Get the latest Android SDK here.

Hope this works! Report in by leaving a comment!

A Handsome Android Phone with Keyboard!

2010-03-31T10:17:00.000-07:00

So far, the only Android phone with a keyboard on Sprint is the Samsung Moment. I honestly think is UGLY.

But according to Engadget, Samsung has a handsome Android phone with a nice looking keyboard in the work - the Samsung Galaxy S Pro.

It's slated for June this year. Note that the pic on Engadget is just a render, not the real thing.

Are you still a hardware keyboard guy? This may be the phone for you!

Sprint Offers "Satisfaction Guaranteed or Money-Back"

2010-03-31T09:42:00.000-07:00

Sprint is definitely continuing to ramp up its customer service. They just announced today a "Satisfaction Guaranteed or Money-Back" program.

Here is a quick chart.

And here are the details from Sprint.

Sprint Evo Wimax Phone is the Phone to Beat!

2010-03-30T15:27:00.001-07:00

According to Pocketnow.com, the Sprint EVO Wimax Phone is going to be the phone to beat this summer!

But then if this rumor about the iPhone coming to Verizon is true, then that EVO reign might only last a short time.

But the iPhone seems to be heading on the opposite of the larger-size screen trend, with rumor having it that they will be going to a 2.8" screen for CDMA.

On a side note, if iPhone comes to Sprint, would you buy one, over and Android phone?

Your Feedback: Sprint Has Good Customer Service

2010-03-28T19:42:00.001-07:00

According to the 43 of you that voted about Sprint's customer service, 32 of you voted that they were excellent or good. I suppose most of you agree that the have improved recently!

SlideIT - Swype Alternative

2010-03-28T19:36:00.000-07:00

I thought Swype was pretty good, but it drained my battery more quickly. I found a youtube video showing SlideIT, which seems to be like Swype, just slightly different.

It's on the Android Market, so you should try it out. I may get around to it myself.

Sprint Doesn't Support Different Language Texts

2010-03-25T17:55:00.000-07:00

I was trying to text someone in another language, but it's not possible on Sprint apparently. I think this is possible on AT&T however, b/c they're GSM. Another reason why CDMA sucks I guess.

Sprint Can't do Russian or Other UTF-16 languages in SMS

Sprint EVO 4G Info from Engadget!

2010-03-23T15:07:00.000-07:00

All I have to say is Wow!

Check out this latest HTC WiMax phone via Engadget!

More from Gizmodo!

Here are the cities where WiMax (4G) is planned. (Info from Gizmodo)

Cincinnati
Cleveland
Los Angeles
Miami
Pittsburgh
Salt Lake City
St. Louis
Boston
Denver
Kansas City
Houston
Minneapolis
New York
San Francisco
Washington, D.C

You're in for some blazing speeds if you live near these areas, and an awesome phone to go with it! Hope we can all afford this HTC Evo!

New 2.1 Camera Features

2010-03-23T13:24:00.000-07:00

I'm still playing around with the new DamageControl Android 2.1 ROM. I came across some cool new features that I didn't notice in the 1.5 ROM, stock or Fresh. Here are some pics. I haven't really played w/ them yet - just found the features, and I thought I'd pass it along.

Dropbox Coming to Android

2010-03-22T15:26:00.000-07:00

If you don't know what Dropbox is already, it's an online "cloud" file storage site.

In my opinion, it's the best one out there, because when you install it, it's tightly integrated to your PC's Windows Explorer, or your Mac's Finder app. It just sits as a folder, with no other app to launch.

When you 'drop' a file (or more) into that folder, it automatically gets synced to www.dropbox.com and will also sync to every other computer that has dropbox installed.

Now the great news is that it's coming to Android! Go hit the link to check out screenshots.

If you want to sign up, please use my dropbox referral. We'll BOTH get 250mbs of bonus space!

Palm Takes a Plunge

2010-03-19T23:34:00.000-07:00

I used to own a Palm III, Palm IIIx, Palm Tungsten II, Tungsten III, and Palm TX as PDAs. Then I bought the Palm Treo 680, then the Palm Centro. I almost bought the Palm Pre, but there was a problem logging on the Palm network for my userid for some reason. As I result, I could not buy it, and boy, am I glad that I didn't after I found out how much the hardware sucked.

Also, out of the gate, WebOS was really laggy.

I feel for Palm right now, as their numbers don't look good, and their stock price plunged as a result. I was a loyal Palm guy. Also, out of the gate, they didn't support basic PIM (personal info management), like a Task List and Notes. I also wanted to sync tasks and notes, but no offer of that either.

Josh from Engadget wrote a spot-on article about Palm on Engadget today, and why they are failing in their rebirth attempts although they have a wonderful OS.

In one of the comments, someone brought up an idea about HTC buying Palm. I'd say it's a match made in heaven. I would hate to see WebOS die.

But first, HTC must survive Apple's big lawsuit against them.

What do you think about HTC + Palm?

Sprint Supersonic to be Revealed Next Week?

2010-03-19T12:47:00.000-07:00

Brighthand.com is stating that the HTC Supersonic may be unveiled next week. This is essentially Sprint's version of the Nexus One.

Note that unveiled does not mean it will necessarily be in the stores, so don't get too excited. They may just announce the date when it will become available.

It will have a snapdragon processor, with a large 4.3 inch screen. It will have Android 2.1, HTC Sense, and potentially WiMax, which is Sprint's name for 4G.

But don't get too excited about 4g either, because it hasn't really been rolled out yet.

Android 2.1 Not in March After All for the Hero

2010-03-19T12:08:00.001-07:00

Android and Me has discovered that Sprint is telling its employees that the 2.1 update for the Hero and Moment will NOT be in March.

Basically, stay tuned.

I say, try rooting your phone to DamageControl 2.1 ROM yourself. It's been great for me so far with no real issues for the past few days.

20 Cell Phones with the Highest Radiation!

2010-03-18T00:38:00.001-07:00

I posted about cell phone radiation warnings here before.

CNET brings us a list of 20 cell phones with the HIGHEST radiation levels.

Fortunately, the Sprint Hero is not one of them.

HTC Plans to Defend Itself Against Apple's Lawsuit

2010-03-17T23:39:00.000-07:00

Engadget covers this story on the Apple lawsuit vs. HTC.

Here's a section from the press release. I suppose they are trying to present themselves as a company with a strong patent folder of their own - but I doubt they will stand up against Apple's portfolio

The industry has recognized HTC's contributions through a variety of awards including Fast Company's 2010 Top 50 Most Innovative Companies and MIT Technology Review's 2010 50 Most Innovative Companies. The GSMA also recently awarded the HTC Hero as the "Best Phone of 2009." Some of HTC's technology firsts include:

First Windows PDA (1998)
First Windows Phone (June 2002)
First 3G CDMA EVDO smartphone (October 2005)
First gesture-based smartphone (June 2007)
First Google Android smartphone (October 2008)
First 4G WIMAX smartphone (November 2008)

Remember everyone, that this isn't a lawsuit versus HTC per se - it's against Android and ultimately against Google. They just didn't want to go head to head with Google (just yet), IMHO.

What's your take on this lawsuit?

Official: Nexus One Coming to Sprint

2010-03-17T14:17:00.000-07:00

The news many of you have been waiting for!

Nexus One coming to Sprint!

Google's online consumer channel was created to provide an efficient way to connect online users with selected Android phones. Nexus One will not be available in any Sprint retail channels. It will be available directly from Google at google.com/phone. The online experience of Google's web store is designed with a focus on simplicity allowing consumers to match a phone with the service plan that best meets their needs.
"While a pricing plan has not yet been determined for Nexus One, we are confident that it will be consistent with Sprint's commitment to deliver more value than our competitors and keep pricing simple," Adib said. "Right now, our Sprint Everything Data 450 plan with Any Mobile, Anytime^(SM) gives customers unlimited calling with any mobile phone in America, unlimited text and unlimited Web for just $69.99 per month - the same price AT&T and Verizon charge for just unlimited talk. Our Everything Data plans include unlimited GPS Navigation at no extra charge and annual phone upgrades with Sprint Premier."

Another Dive: Upgraded to a Custom 2.1 ROM

2010-03-16T14:40:00.000-07:00

I was holding out on upgrading to a 2.1 custom ROM until enough of the issues were fixed. At one point, video camera was not working, nor was bluetooth.

The talented XDA developers each contributed to this work, which was basically compiled into a new ROM by user 'damageless', called the DamageControl 2.1 ROM.

One thing that's not working is Visual Voicemail, and that won't be available until HTC releases the kernel for their 2.1 official ROM. If you have Google Voice, you can use the Google Voice app in the market to get the same visual voicemail feature.

I thought I could live without that, so I decided to do the upgrade. It's been two days now, and I haven't noticed any problems. All the basics like phone calls, text, web browsing, wifi are all working okay. It's definitely fast, with zero lag.

I'll post more details on the steps I took, plus what's different from 1.5, but for now, enjoy some screenshots.

u

Sprint Hero Essential Tips and Tricks

2010-03-16T13:00:00.000-07:00

I have this on the sidebar, but I decided to place it as its own post. I think it's a good place to start for newbies who just got a Sprint Hero.