Related
wasnt sure if i should put this here or in the general forum.
Disclaimer: I used igo with my winmo device (ATT tilt) so i may be a bit biased. igo was also the first navigation software i used
So i do not have a data plan, i use wifi most of the time. Does anyone have a recommendation on the best gps software for our phones (unlike most people my gps works, even though it takes about 2-3 minutes for a cold fix.
Here are the ones i know:
COPILOT 8
I got copilot 8, sweet interface (truly the best gps interface out there), runs quite smoothly. only one problem:
-It calculates the best route horribly.
-POIs are great.... if you do not like popular chains ( can you beleive it has no burger king, mcdonalds, popeyes or any of the popular fast food places).
-you need to specify a city to find the street (just never liked that)
-super fast and smooth, no lag and hardly any choppiness except when panning the map
- live weather (traffic to come soon)
- great detour options (can choose to avoid any road on your route)
- displays pois right on the map so you can see every POI right on the map without having to go searching in the menu.
kinda nice just to click an icon and see everything around you.... now only if it had half of the things around you in its database
-uses your default keyboard (could be good or bad)
* the poi issue can kinda be fixed if you have a data connection, it can do an internet search for places, then you can save them to your favorites, but next time you want to find some other place you have not been to, get ready to use the internet again. but if you want that, might as well stick with google/bing navigation
so basically copilot 8 UI : SUPERB
actual navigating: Crap
IGO
so igo has 2 navi softwares, and unfortunately for us, none work on our devices properly.
igo motonav (the one i actually tested): resolution is meant for motorola android devices, which are 54 pixels longer.
igo myway: resolution is way smaller (320 x 480 i think), only takes up about a third of our screen real estate.
there is a work around for motonav to make it fit our screen, but for some reason it still produces a very choppy/laggy experience, but still very useable.
so basically: igo has the great navigation capabilities
-, an ok UI,
-EVERY POI YOU WILL EVER WANT
-ability to search for a street without specifying a city
-also has live traffic
-NO OPTIONS FOR DETOURS, only detours i could find was traffic detour, and that it does automatically if it finds too much traffic on your route.
-has its own keyboard, kinda makes it easier for finding places since it eliminates letters while you type
-You do have alternate routes depending on how you want to travel (fast, economical, short etc)
SO OVERALL:
igo: better maps, poi and actual navigation
copilot: better UI, ease of use, smoothness/speed of software and quite a few more navigation options.
does anyone have any suggestions on a gps app that combines both igos 'actual navigation' ability and copilots 'features/smoothness'? Or a quick fix to get better POIs on copilot easily
hopes this helps anyone looking for navigation software, feel free to leave input
I don't have a data plan either. And I'm a CoPilot fan simply cause due to it's ease of use. Plug in an address, it gets you there. Usually when I need a GPS I'm in a hurry somewhere and rely on the GPS to get me there as fast as possibly so this is why I appreciate the CoPilot.
I also like how pretty it looks on the Vibrant. Very high resolution, responsive, and it has VOICE! I'm not sure if Igo has voice but for me, that is a BIG feature while driving. I integrate it with my music so I listen to music and every now and then a nice voice tells me where to go. I don't need to look at it much. I love it
I have been using Copilot since September of 2009. Earlier versions had all sorts of problems and imagine it running on G1 - slow and paiinful. It was working very well on my Vibrant pretty from the software side but the Vibrant GPS problems made it rather hit or miss as my device would accasionally freeze or reboot. So, following suggestions of many, I have finally bit the bullet and reset my Vibrant to factory settings. I reinstalled Copilot from the Market but now it tells me that my trial period has expired and I am not able to go past that to enter my product license key. Earlier this year I have even bought the live traffic for a year for $20 and I have a separate product license key for that as well. However, as a result of being completely locked out of the software by the initial activation (where you have to enter your Google checkout number and Copilot ID) screen, I am unable to use it anymore. I paid $35 for the software and $20 for the traffic addon and I am completely unable to use it as if I was a pirate that stole the darn thing - great job ALK Sofware. I opened an online support request but they are notorious for not answering these requests so I am not holding my breath at this point for ever being able to use their software again - unless I change my Google account and buy the software again I guess but that is just not going to happen. Very frustrating...
Bottom line is, Copilot is great when it works but once you have problems with it, good luck getting their support and fixing your issue.
So, since Copilot is quickly turning into a throwaway for me, does anybody else have some comparable or hopefully better suggestions? Has anybody heard of or used Sygic Aura for example? How about Destinator? Any input and reviews will be greatly appreciated since I seem to be in a market for a new navigation software. Thank you in advance...
if you search the internet hard, you could find people who have modified igo to fit our screens
I've been using Sygic Mobile Maps for some time now. Have used it on Windows Mobile and it's even better (more responsive on my Android (Galaxy S i9000).
SHELVES looks like a great app to keep inventory of DVDs, games, books, etc. - similar to Delicious Library for iPhone.
Unfortunately, Shelves doesn't work on my Streak (USA 2.2). When I scan a barcode to add a DVD movie, it says "Couldn't add movie. You might already have it". Needles to say, there are zero movies in my library.
However, the program works great with books - scan the code and it find the correct book and adds it to the shelf.
Am I missing something in the settings? Any help would be appreciated.
Thank you!
ZodiacPhoto said:
SHELVES looks like a great app to keep inventory of DVDs, games, books, etc. - similar to Delicious Library for iPhone.
Unfortunately, Shelves doesn't work on my Streak (USA 2.2). When I scan a barcode to add a DVD movie, it says "Couldn't add movie. You might already have it". Needles to say, there are zero movies in my library.
However, the program works great with books - scan the code and it find the correct book and adds it to the shelf.
Am I missing something in the settings? Any help would be appreciated.
Thank you!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This sounded like an awesome idea to me when I saw this post.
I have about 500 DVDs in my collection and keeping them straight in my head has been a hassle for me for a couple of years now. This sounded like just the solution.
So, I put it on my Streak to test it. And, had the same exact issue you are seeing with it so far as my DVDs are concerned. Didn't even try the books. Only a hundred or two of them, and no problems remembering yet.
I get the same issues using DJ 1.7. Bummer looked like an interesting app.
Solution...?
Unfortunately, the last update for Shelves killed the app for many handsets - found it on apps feedback om the Market.
I could not find where to get the older version of the app - is it possible at all?
However, I am using a different app now, PackRat, free on the Market.
Not as visually attractive as as Shelves would be, but it works great!
I'm in the same boat with many of you guys. Lots of DVDs and Shelves only returns the BS might already be in your library error for me as well.
On edit- I downloaded Packrat and it does take a long time to get results, but it does get results. However, out of 18 DVDs it couldn't find 3 of them (3:10 to Yuma, Adventureland, and Hot Tub Time Machine). Also, out of 12 books it couldn't find 2 of them. Google goggles was able to find all the ones that Packrat was missing. Between the speed and the fact that I have hundreds of books and DVDs to catalog, I'm not sure this will work for me. The miss percentage is too high. I tried putting one DVD in manually, but I see no way to add a picture and adding potentially 100 DVDs manually would take forever.
Second edit- I've now attempted to use packrat to scan 50 more DVDs. It was able to find 26 of them. Again, these aren't indie titles, but mainstream titles like the ones I mentioned above. And, again, Goggles was able to find them. I'm done with Packrat.and still searching for an alternative to Shelves.
have you spoken to the developer of shelves?
most developers are more than happy to go through issues with you and try and resolve them if you're polite and thorough, and willing to help them with testing
I thought I'd start a review page for the Touchpad. I got my Touchpad on Tuesday and have spent a good bit of time with it. In general, I see a lot of potential. I am disappointed that it took so long and isn't better than it is.
Now I understand most of the poor reviews that the unit has gotten. Comparing a first generation product with a 2nd or 3rd generation product doesn't is not likely to be very positive. But, most of us thought, between HP and Palm, the unit would be a lot further along. Perhaps HP is too big to be creative and responsive enough for a fast moving market like phones and tablets. However, to be fair, the things the unit does well, it does very well. And, what it doesn't do well, it generally doesn't do at all.
First, the weight. Personally, I like the feel of it. A few ounces either way really doesn't make much difference. It has a good balance and feels solid.
Second, the WebOS. I am new to it, but so far, I am impressed. The multitasking is really well done. The setup on the unit was simple and logically organized. There is a somewhat intuitive feel to the interface, even though if I knew more, it might be even better.
I setup my Exchange client with no problems and it works well. I will try to add some more accounts later for testing.
Now for the items I am disappointed with. I know it sounds like I don't like the unit, but I do, and it is so close. But, unfortunately, close only counts in horseshoes and nuclear war.
First, as far as I can tell, whoever designed this either never used an iPad or Android tablet or didn't use it much. They don't understand the first rule of the smart device market: You have to have some key working software. Okay, there is some, but in general, it is a real disappointment. There will be lots of other things needed, but everyone wants video, music, news, and a way to move data around. A lot of people will want a time manager, too. If you missed that in the design, you missed the key items.
It plays MP3s well, but without Pandora, it doesn't really matter much.
The worst thing so far is that the video player is useless. Most of the videos I see and use are AVIs and they don't work at all. And only about half of the MP4's have worked so far. One of the top priorities needs to be a movie player that isn't useless. Something like VitalPlayer for the Android.
You also need a good news reader. If you have an Android you get News360 or Pulse. Where is the comparable product?
Oh, by the way, it isn't terribly easy to find anything in the Appstore. It doesn't give enough granularity. It is hard to find the diamonds amoung the trash.
The other item that is needed is a file manager. Something like ES File Explorer on the Android. It allows you to move files from the LAN to the Local file structure and to move files inside the unit. I know the idea is that WEBOS handles it. But as far as I can tell, I have to hook up to a PC to move files. There is a paid app in the app store, but it doesn't do enough.
I have used Android up to this point. A year ago, it was pretty bad. But, today it is a great competitor. WEBOS can be there, too, but it can't take very long or there won't be a market. If HP is counting on business users only, they are probably DOA. From what I have seen, other than e-mail, business use takes a back seat to personal applications on tablets.
What do you think?
7-25-2011 It is getting better
Today, I downloaded KalemSoft Media Player and Gemini File Manger. They each fill at least part of the gap in the functionality of the Touchpad. The KamelSoft Media Player has added considerable functionality to the media play including additional codecs for AVI, etc. And, the MP4s that didn't work with the built in player seem to work with it. It is a $6.99 item but, so far, it seems to be a good investment. I had to add an app to my Android 2.2 unit to get the same capabilities, so it is makes sense that I will have to do the same for a first generation WEBOS tablet, I guess.
The Gemini File Manager is a valuable addition, because it has a nice two column, full screen, interface and has networking capablities. Currently it only works with Dropbox. But it is a step in the right direction. I had to download a file manager, ES File Manager, with this functionality for my Android also, but it was free. ES File Manager allows local network connection, which is pretty useful. This is pretty inexpensive at $2.99 though.
Last week, I downloaded SpaZ HD Beta Preview 1 to use as a Twitter client. It is worth a look. I have enjoyed learning how to use it.
I have download several news readers, but so far nothing that is as good as Pulse or News 360. NewsRoom is a start, but it is still in the phone format.
Pandora works, but it is in the phone format. And, that doesn't really matter much to the functionality.
So things are coming along. With a few more apps, it will be almost as good as my Android for my daily use. Android and iPad have a lot of apps, but how many are of any real use?
There are a few things missing. A working RDP app is essential for small businesses. A solid time management package that interfaces with Quickbooks would be useful, also.
Agreed, thanks for that review
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using XDA Premium App
Well, I am wrong about at least one thing. There is a Pandora app. It works, but it is a phone app and takes a little getting used to. But, it seems to work well.
I bought Newroom hoping it will be like Pulse. It is also a phone app and will take some work to get used to. But it might do some of what I want until a better app comes along. I also bought TapNote for Touchpad which I think will be a good tool, and Internalz, so I can get to the file structure. It is a phone app, so it will be a little strange until it is upgraded.
I downloaded TED, which is a source for seminars that seem to be pretty diverse. The first one I watched was great. It showed off the video pretty well.
I'm still impressed.
I prefer to buy the Touchpad than iPad. Because Touchpad is a way better than other tablets but is a bit buggy yet, but with time and devs, all can be solved.
Good luck with devs and with OTAs touch pad FAIL and webOS phones are butt ugly with a nice OS
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA Premium App
I actually want to buy a touchpad....only if it doesn't become a dead system and gets reasonable support compared to android and iOS from developers
I would have to add that the font rendering is the ugliest since Windows 3.11. Seriously. The UI itself is beautiful, but reading web pages or mails hurts your eyes after a few minutes. The fonts look like they are smudged, like the screen is blurry. It is a huge fail and the biggest downside IMO. Sure, application load times are really bad, and there are no apps. But apps only need to be loaded once, and the number of apps might change. The incredibly distracting font rendering won't go away
Send an email to: Leo Apotheker, Sean Robison & Steve DeWitt. They need to hear from you.
First name.Last [email protected]
Think it's Stephen but will check. No hear back from me then it's that.
Sent from my Sapphire/dream using XDA App
Can only print to HP printers.
-1. My HP laptops can print to my Canon printer
Can't wait for Android on this thing
I bought one of the firesale units and starting playing with it. I have some questions:
1) It don't seem to support ad-hoc wireless networks. Is there any software I can add or configuration change I can make to change this? I have a Windows Mobile cell phone that can share its connection over wifi, but its ad-hoc only.
2) I put some pdfs and an m4v and flv video on the device, organized in folders. I go in acrobat reader and it seems to find the pdfs, but just puts them in a single list, rather than showing the file hierarchy. I would like to be able to browse the file hierarchy and touch a file and have it open in an appropriate player or reader. I have a lot of pdfs to put in the device and they need to be organized, not one big list.
3) Acrobat reader and Quick Office seem to be a little slow to load. I am wondering if there is an app that is quick loading that will show a file hierarchy and show or play pdf files and videos, similar to GoodReader for ipad?
4) Is there anything that will play .flv video files? The m4v video showed up in the photo viewer, but not the .flv
Thanks in advance.
guyandhisdog said:
Can only print to HP printers.
-1. My HP laptops can print to my Canon printer
Can't wait for Android on this thing
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So can my Lenovo laptop.
But this isn't a HP laptop.
Sent from my HTC Sensation Z710e
I know its not a HP laptop. Just sayin, one HP product can and one (newer) can't. That = -1
anyone else notice that this thing seems to crash/freeze alot? have to reboot quite often.
treestump said:
anyone else notice that this thing seems to crash/freeze alot? have to reboot quite often.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
have u updated the pad? i've been playing with mine for 2 days and havent had a hang up or freeze yet.. u might have a faulty model
I haven't gotten my HP Touchpad yet. Heck, still listed as "shipping soon" from Amazon/eCost.
This may be useful for improving performance until we have Android running:
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/mobile-news/how-to-improve-the-performance-of-your-new-hp-touchpad/3866
hurrpancakes said:
So can my Lenovo laptop.
But this isn't a HP laptop.
Sent from my HTC Sensation Z710e
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I read a review that said you can print to other printers but its a bit harder. Don't no the details sorry but at least you can. (supposedly)
starfcker69 said:
I haven't gotten my HP Touchpad yet. Heck, still listed as "shipping soon" from Amazon/eCost.
This may be useful for improving performance until we have Android running:
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/mobile-news/how-to-improve-the-performance-of-your-new-hp-touchpad/3866
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Picked mine up Saturday morning and found that article yesterday. By all means do what it says, helps a lot. The more I use my touchpad the more I like it. Great little $100 investment IMO. Really wish there was a Wordfeud or Words with Friends app for it though. Preware should be installed on every WebOS device.
starfcker69 said:
I haven't gotten my HP Touchpad yet. Heck, still listed as "shipping soon" from Amazon/eCost.
This may be useful for improving performance until we have Android running:
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/mobile-news/how-to-improve-the-performance-of-your-new-hp-touchpad/3866
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks a lot for this link! I don't even have my touchpad yet but i look forward to being able to poke around with it and get every ounce of performance possible.
Are there any other good resources for WebOS tweaks or mods? Ultimately i'll probably put android on this thing (once the devs do all the hard work) but in the meantime, i'd like to see just how usable the device is as-is.
my gripes:
browser - not as good as Android's. some pages had minor render issues, some menus didn't work right. some flash videos would not play.
browser - only way to go "back" is the back arrow at the top left corner so you have to keep your thumb near it.. awkward to hold. why no left swipe or something?
lists, any - no scroll bars! i added like 100 bookmarks then it's a pain in the ass to get from top to bottom. have to swipe down like 10 times
camera - no app is included to use it other than skype.
video player - videos files are shown as group of big icons, no way to change that to a list view, and the space allocated for the name does not have enough characters
no way to change the icons on the taskbar?
serious lack of good apps that are designed for touchpad .. maybe a dozen that i ended up keeping.
no included rss reader, calc, notes, etc.
i don't believe the Bing navi app has 3D mapping or live rerouting (for use with tether) and i didn't see any in the market.
no voice to text function ?
doesn't support mkv or avi out of the box (same for Android, iOS) .. have to reencode videos from usenet. there is a (1) paid app that can play these apparently, haven't tried it yet
no video out, rear camera, back / search / menu buttons, low-res screen, heavy... but you know that going in.
App Store - no sorting options (ie, #downloads, #reviews)
.....
things i like:
hardware is solid, battery life is impressive, viewing angles excellent, and the GUI looks polished. OS is reasonably responsive and stable (after ota update). basic functions (wifi, web, email, IM, a/v playback) work as expected.
good deal for $100.
I like my 32GB Touchpad so far, I applied the improvements and it does seem better, I have to try the overclock. It's good for the price I paid, but not for it's starting one. I'd still like to see Android on it and I hope there's more development both on webOS and Android for it.
For your news reading needs you could try the Mosaic app, it's similar to Pulse with its own twist.
os10 said:
my gripes:
no way to change the icons on the taskbar?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can by going into the Launcher and touching an app for a few seconds so you can move them around.
So I've recently swapped over from an Ipod Touch 3 to a Samsung Galaxy Player 5. There are things I love and things I hate about my new device, since I used my Ipod touch primarily as a smartphone whenever it was on wifi. Here are some of my observations and things I've found along the way that might help people make the switch:
~~ VOIP Calling ~~
I've tried several of the VOIP apps (gtalk, grooveip, etc) and they all share a common problem: there is a large delay on the line. When I had my ipod touch, I used to use an app called Talkatone and it worked beautifully with no delay whatsoever. Turns out, you can get it on android (although not through the market). Had to really dig to find this one, but boy is it worth it!The app is incredible and works out of the box with no configuration. No delay at all, no echo, each party can hear the other without a problem. And it's free (for now)!
RECOMMENDATION: Talkatone (google: "talkatone apk" and find the link to the official site. Sry I can't post the link )
~~ Texting ~~
Use the official google voice app for now and throw a widget on your home screen. I got so spoiled by bitesms/google voice integration on my ipod, but for now this is about as good as it gets. Eventually, chompsms or some competitor will integrate google voice so you can quick-reply to texts without leaving the app you're in. They say it's in the works, so keep your fingers crossed!
RECOMMENDATION: Google Voice App (market)
~~ Calendar ~~
Using lockinfo on my ipod really spoiled me as far as keeping track of my upcoming events goes, but android gives us a similarly simple solution in the form of Pure Grid Calendar Widget. Toss a 4x4 XL widget on your homescreen and have fun never opening your calendar app again
RECOMMENDATION: Pure Grid Calendar Widget (market)
~~ Music: Desktop Syncing ~~
Coming off of itunes is tough, as I'm sure you all know. I decided to use windows media player on my desktop to sync my music, since it allows easy syncing to external SD (important, since I have more than 8GB of music) and is easy to use, despite being ugly and clunky. To listen to music on my computer, I'll be using Zune (soooo much better than itunes!), since playlists and ratings should sync right over to windows media player and therefore, my android. Still playing around with this, though. Will update as time goes on.
RECOMMENDATION: ?
~~ Music: Your device ~~
If the stock music player had a widget that worked, I would have used that, but since it didn't and there seem to be no good widgets for it in the market, I swapped over to PlayerPro. So far so good, but still don't have much experience with this, so will update over time.
RECOMMENDATION: ?
~~ Browser ~~
Currently I'm using the stock browser, since it is relatively zippy and works with flash player. Tried opera mini, and love the speed, but compatibility is shaky. Still not sold on this one.
RECOMMENDATION: ?
~~ File Explorer ~~
Use ES File Explorer. Don't ask questions. Just do it. When/if you decide to root, it gets better. Before you root, it lets you change file extensions (stock does not). It's also free with no ads.
RECOMMENDATION: ES File Explorer (market)
~~ Keyboard ~~
I'm personally really liking Swype, but it does take up a lot of memory and the keys are very small in portrait when typing things you can't swype (usernames, passwords, email addresses, slang, etc). Not sold on this, but definitely better than stock.
RECOMMENDATION: Swype ?
If you guys can think of anything I've missed as far as decisions about android you have to make, please let me know so I can update this. Still relatively new to android. Thanks!
Hi,
I haven't tried it yet (using Sipdroid + GV + pbxes.com, currently), but here's a link for Talkatone.com and Android:
http://www.talkatone.com/android-preview.html
Jim
Thanks, that's the link I'm not allowed to post! Do you experience any lag when talking on the phone with sipdroid? I had really bad lag, but may have set it up incorrectly. Want to make sure my info's right. Thanks, again!
xxBrun0xx said:
Thanks, that's the link I'm not allowed to post! Do you experience any lag when talking on the phone with sipdroid? I had really bad lag, but may have set it up incorrectly. Want to make sure my info's right. Thanks, again!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
No, I haven't noticed any lag using Sipdroid+GV+pbxes.com on my SGP5. The only thing I've found is that I think it won't go into speakerphone mode on the SGP5. Works fine holding the SGP5 up to your ear, like a "real" phone .
I haven't tried it with the earbuds (suppose to have a mic on them already) or with a Bluetooth headset yet.
FYI, I downloaded the talkatone APK. It installed ok on my SGP5, and at first I couldn't call out. But I changed the compression to "none WIFI" and I think it worked ok after that.
However, whenever I pressed the "Speakerphone" icon, the talkatone app would FC, so it looks like they have some work to do (I know it's an "alpha"). I've uninstalled it from my SGP5 for now, since Sipdroid seems to work ok, plus the talkatone app puts up a ton of ads while it's running (like a new ad every couple of seconds?).
Later,
Jim
I find GrooveIP works pretty good, but will try Talkatone, thanks! Texting GV for sure.
edit: Trying Talkatone, not nearly as good UI as GrooveIP (no access to Google favorites, no contact pix), does seem to make calls fine. Speakerphone crashes app. Sticking with GrooveIP for now, until they officially release this thing.
I had Boat Mini as my browser for a year on my phone, but jus switched to Dolphin HD on my 5.0, very nice, especially the RSS section (Webzine). I have now eliminated Pulse because of it.
I really like the built in calendar, use Smooth Calendar Widget with it.
Don't listen to music a lot, but find Google Music nice (use it on my PC at home and work). For off-line I use Cubed, very nice UI and widgets, here'sthe link, it's hard to search for: http://www.appbrain.com/app/³/org.abrantix.rockon.rockonnggl
FX File EXplorer is great unrooted, but since I have File Expert on my phone, I'm using it on my 5.0, love this theme:http://www.appbrain.com/app/file-expert-dream-bubble-theme/com.geek.filexpert.theme7 My ONLY issue with it is it does allow reverse sorting (by date ends up newest last, which sux), but favorites pretty much solved that.
+1 Swype.
Like Any.DO for lists/google tasks sync.
Like Jango for radio/streaming favorites.
Like BMW and PowerTudor for pinpointing power issues.
Like this for weather (only beacuse it was a free Amazon app).
Like this for screenshots (at least for the 1st 14).
Like this for putting different pictures on screens.
And GO Launcher, Dropbox, Quickpic, and K9 are all better than stock.
My favorite game: http://www.appbrain.com/app/super-stickman-golf/com.noodlecake.ssg
xxBrun0xx said:
So I've recently swapped over from an Ipod Touch 3 to a Samsung Galaxy Player 5. There are things I love and things I hate about my new device, since I used my Ipod touch primarily as a smartphone whenever it was on wifi. Here are some of my observations and things I've found along the way that might help people make the switch:
~~ VOIP Calling ~~
I've tried several of the VOIP apps (gtalk, grooveip, etc) and they all share a common problem: there is a large delay on the line. When I had my ipod touch, I used to use an app called Talkatone and it worked beautifully with no delay whatsoever. Turns out, you can get it on android (although not through the market). Had to really dig to find this one, but boy is it worth it!The app is incredible and works out of the box with no configuration. No delay at all, no echo, each party can hear the other without a problem. And it's free (for now)!
RECOMMENDATION: Talkatone (google: "talkatone apk" and find the link to the official site. Sry I can't post the link )
~~ Texting ~~
Use the official google voice app for now and throw a widget on your home screen. I got so spoiled by bitesms/google voice integration on my ipod, but for now this is about as good as it gets. Eventually, chompsms or some competitor will integrate google voice so you can quick-reply to texts without leaving the app you're in. They say it's in the works, so keep your fingers crossed!
RECOMMENDATION: Google Voice App (market)
~~ Calendar ~~
Using lockinfo on my ipod really spoiled me as far as keeping track of my upcoming events goes, but android gives us a similarly simple solution in the form of Pure Grid Calendar Widget. Toss a 4x4 XL widget on your homescreen and have fun never opening your calendar app again
RECOMMENDATION: Pure Grid Calendar Widget (market)
~~ Music: Desktop Syncing ~~
Coming off of itunes is tough, as I'm sure you all know. I decided to use windows media player on my desktop to sync my music, since it allows easy syncing to external SD (important, since I have more than 8GB of music) and is easy to use, despite being ugly and clunky. To listen to music on my computer, I'll be using Zune (soooo much better than itunes!), since playlists and ratings should sync right over to windows media player and therefore, my android. Still playing around with this, though. Will update as time goes on.
RECOMMENDATION: ?
~~ Music: Your device ~~
If the stock music player had a widget that worked, I would have used that, but since it didn't and there seem to be no good widgets for it in the market, I swapped over to PlayerPro. So far so good, but still don't have much experience with this, so will update over time.
RECOMMENDATION: ?
~~ Browser ~~
Currently I'm using the stock browser, since it is relatively zippy and works with flash player. Tried opera mini, and love the speed, but compatibility is shaky. Still not sold on this one.
RECOMMENDATION: ?
~~ File Explorer ~~
Use ES File Explorer. Don't ask questions. Just do it. When/if you decide to root, it gets better. Before you root, it lets you change file extensions (stock does not). It's also free with no ads.
RECOMMENDATION: ES File Explorer (market)
~~ Keyboard ~~
I'm personally really liking Swype, but it does take up a lot of memory and the keys are very small in portrait when typing things you can't swype (usernames, passwords, email addresses, slang, etc). Not sold on this, but definitely better than stock.
RECOMMENDATION: Swype ?
If you guys can think of anything I've missed as far as decisions about android you have to make, please let me know so I can update this. Still relatively new to android. Thanks!
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I personally use Google Voice for texting, and Firefox for browsing. The new release is pretty slick.
First, I think we need separate threads for some of these since there could probably be entire discussions on each. Just a thought. And thanks to Bruno for starting this one.
I've just installed groove IP and tried it out a little. There is a lag plus folks on the other end report bad call quality. I have not played with the settings at all yet. Hope to do that tonight. I'll look at Talkatone once it hits beta or so. Going to look into Jim's solution tonight too as that sounds interesting.
If there are any folks who have been through the Groove IP setup on the YP-G70 already I'd appreciate hearing how your settings ended up!!
My Groove settings:
Audio settings: Echo nothing, Speaker "0", MG -6
Troubleshooting: KSO check, AP check, SV check, HiPerfWifiLock check
All others not checked or default. I don't talk much, but it seems to work. There is a number you can call that repeats back what you say so you can keep testing different settings: 909-390-0003
Mrktmind said:
First, I think we need separate threads for some of these since there could probably be entire discussions on each. Just a thought. And thanks to Bruno for starting this one.
I've just installed groove IP and tried it out a little. There is a lag plus folks on the other end report bad call quality. I have not played with the settings at all yet. Hope to do that tonight. I'll look at Talkatone once it hits beta or so. Going to look into Jim's solution tonight too as that sounds interesting.
If there are any folks who have been through the Groove IP setup on the YP-G70 already I'd appreciate hearing how your settings ended up!!
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If you're willing to give up the cloud-acceleration try Opera Mobile instead of Mini: it has good compatibility and Flash support, while still being pretty fast, so it doesn't lose any features from the default browser, making it an excellent alternative.
Thanks tcat. I'll try those setting tomorrow.
With regards to which browser I know that the Dolphin browser was very popular but was found to be tracking your surfing and phoning home - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1319529&page=31
In the above thread the Boat Browser seems to be the only privacy safe browser on Android. I am trying the Firefox browser right now.
Hey, just an update on this a few months later: Returned the galaxy player and got myself an optimus V from Virgin Mobile and WOW. Having internet everywhere was awesome Then I upgraded to a Triumph, and soon I'll be on Straight Talk (AT&T) using a Droid Razr. I traded my Ipod Touch straight up for the Triumph and it was basically brand new. Also, don't even want to tell you how cheap the razr was. Craigslist rocks. After playing with true phones, I can't honestly recommend the galaxy player 5 to anyone. It's simply too much money. You could pay a little more and get a galaxy nexus, which blows the player 5 out of the water in terms of specs, and if you decide you want a data plan, you can buy a sim card from straight talk and just use it for that, no monkeying around with voip apps. It costs more, but it is absolutely worth every penny, imo.
edited out reply
Can i use GrooveIP in Europe for free?or is calling only for USA numbers free?
Sent from my Samsung Toaster via XDA - If i helped ,click the Thanks button
Is there an app for international calling? From outside US or Canada to outside.
I did the opposite, went from an Optimus-V to the Player5.0, and use my V only about once per month. Now there are rumors that HTC 3D is coming to VM, if so I'll buy it. I don't like carrying 2 devices, and having data 24/7 is a big plus. I do have wifi at home and work, so the Galaxy is really all I need. GrooveIP works for me 90% of the time (since I get no cell signal at home, it's a must). But the 4.3" screen of the HTC at a much higher resolution will cause me to get rid of this wonderful Player to help pay for the HTC.... my grandfathered $25 unlimited is a deal that's hard to get rid of.
xxBrun0xx said:
Hey, just an update on this a few months later: Returned the galaxy player and got myself an optimus V from Virgin Mobile and WOW. Having internet everywhere was awesome Then I upgraded to a Triumph, and soon I'll be on Straight Talk (AT&T) using a Droid Razr. I traded my Ipod Touch straight up for the Triumph and it was basically brand new. Also, don't even want to tell you how cheap the razr was. Craigslist rocks. After playing with true phones, I can't honestly recommend the galaxy player 5 to anyone. It's simply too much money. You could pay a little more and get a galaxy nexus, which blows the player 5 out of the water in terms of specs, and if you decide you want a data plan, you can buy a sim card from straight talk and just use it for that, no monkeying around with voip apps. It costs more, but it is absolutely worth every penny, imo.
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@tcat007 Another solution that might help would be to try either Wifi Ruler or WiFi Jumper apps. These apps make your YP-G70 auto-connect to the nearest best wifi signal without any interaction just like a cell phone auto connects to the nearest cell tower.
Haven't tried them extensively yet but I'm thinking they will help bridge the gap between wifi phone and cell phone.
gVoice works best for me. no setup to do
After trying all the apps in this thread, I've found SIPdroid+pbxes works best for me. Audio delay is the smallest out of all of them, even though the interface isn't as pretty.
Thanks
Thanks for the recap
I just switched from an iPhone to the G-Note. While I love the phone and the great screen on it, I have a few issues I just don't get and I would "hope" there are work arounds too. Not being in this world of android long however, I'm lost so after digging around and trying to fix things on my own, I'm coming back here with the few remaining questions / issues.
1) Contact Images - WTF is up with the 96x96 crap? I'm pretty sure my old windows 3.1 could handle those too. When my iPhone rang, it would show great full screen images of the caller and not this crappy little image. I've played with a few apps to overcome this, but they all feel like a kludge to me. I am sync'd with both google and exchange contacts, and the problem is on both of them, not one or the other. I know ICS will up that to 256/256 (only on the local device, the sync data to gmail will still be 96/96 acording to the post i was reading by a google dev), but still, most ALL new phones are at least 720p ( or close ).
2) Quality of Apps - No description needed. The quality of Apps for the android, with a few exceptions, doesn't even compair. As an example, where are the real GPS apps? And those that do exist, I can't find a single one that lowers the volume of playing music etc to give directions. This is a STANDARD for all gps systems today, including my aftermarket in car radio...
3) WHY is 1-202-555-1234 not the same as 202-555-1234 as a contact phone number? Really? I get seperate logs for them this way, as well seperate entries in the contacts info ( when for instance I sync with say facebook and they included a "1" in the info there ).
4) Music Player - Similar complaint to #3. But why is the band "Van Halen" not the same as "van halen" in the info? For that matter, it does the same with the album name as well. This does not just hold true for Music player either, many many apps on this platform do this. This has forced me to spend COUNTLESS hours going over my music library on the old PC to make sure everything is the exact same in each and every mp3 file. EVERY programming language in the last 20 years allows you to do case insensitive comparisons...( strcmp, stricmp anyone? ).
5) Ya know, my list is MUCH longer then this, but for the life of me, now that I'm sitting here to rant/ask how to overcome some of these issues, I can't think of them... Story of my life.
Just alot of "little" things like this that make it feel very.. "clunky" to me. I love some of the features, but some of the little unrefined parts are just a pisser.
Jailbroken / rooted what ever. Yes I was jailbroken on my iphone and yes I'm rooted on the GNote.
1. Try GO Contacts or Dialer One(from Market)
2. No can do my friend. Personally I don't think so.
3. Again, Go Contacts or Dialer One
4. Umm... Alternative music player? WinAmp, PowerAmp, DoubleTwist etc.(I don't know why, but that didn't happen on my phone)
rkennison said:
1) Contact Images - WTF is up with the 96x96 crap?
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This is a samsung touchwiz issue/feauture. I first had an HTC desire then I got a Samsung Galaxy S2, the hardware is great but the software still (after a year of owning the SGS2) feels pretty rough, unlike HTC's Sense
2) Quality of Apps - No description needed. The quality of Apps for the android, with a few exceptions, doesn't even compair. As an example, where are the real GPS apps? And those that do exist, I can't find a single one that lowers the volume of playing music etc to give directions. This is a STANDARD for all gps systems today, including my aftermarket in car radio...
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Sygic and Navigon are there I guess only TomTom is missing; If you really miss a feature in Sygic usually if you post it in the forum you will find a in an update with 2-3 months.
rkennison said:
2) Quality of Apps - No description needed. The quality of Apps for the android, with a few exceptions, doesn't even compair. As an example, where are the real GPS apps? And those that do exist, I can't find a single one that lowers the volume of playing music etc to give directions. This is a STANDARD for all gps systems today, including my aftermarket in car radio...
3) WHY is 1-202-555-1234 not the same as 202-555-1234 as a contact phone number? Really? I get seperate logs for them this way, as well seperate entries in the contacts info ( when for instance I sync with say facebook and they included a "1" in the info there ).
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2. Really, I've used a friend's iPhone and the apps honestly are the same. I'm not sure what you are talking about...? Google Maps with Navigation Beta is an awesome free navigation system. It's gotten me out of messes just fine. And I think your audio issue is a problem with your OEM. Mine handles lowering the volume just fine. Maybe try another ROM?
3. The numbers are different due to a number of issues. Gosh, how do I explain this.... Ok. All outside-of-area code numbers are now supposed to be dialed as 1 (555) 201 2222 instead of (555) 201 2222 to help the system establish the country. This is especially true for landlines. Since you're on an international phone it helps to add the 1 (or even +1).
So just make it a habit to add +1. So enter it as +15552012222.
I hope that helps.
A couple ICS roms are ready for the Note although they are beta(so what? i used CM9 as my daily driver when it was just in alpha stage!)
Maybe try them first
You mentioned you were running CM9, is that ready in any "reliable" form for the i717? ( I don't have the international , I'm in the USA with "good old" at&t ).