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[OriginalThinking]

I just wonder why they did it now. They didn't put it in 2.1 which would have really bumped up the reviews of Nexus One, and they didn't hold off until the next Android version or even Google I/O, which would've been a great way to unveil it. Ah well, I'm just happy it's finally here.

Hopefully it suggests they are actively listening to the community and wanted to respond quickly to some of the criticisms levelled - maybe they've been stung slightly by some of the complaints. Most companies rarely seem to listen to what their userbase wants and are slow to respond. We've got at least a few new firmware updates to come this year, so the proof will be in the pudding.

 

[Hawkian]

Anybody know what the actually firmware number is of this new update?

And... you know, when the Droid Army gets it?

EDIT: http://www.viddler.com/explore/engadget/videos/1065/57.329

Ah well. Looks like I may indeed by going back to the stock browser when this comes out. That is SMOOTH.

 

[ThatObviousUser]

Hopefully it suggests they are actively listening to the community and wanted to respond quickly to some of the criticisms levelled - maybe they've been stung slightly by some of the complaints. Most companies rarely seem to listen to what their userbase wants and are slow to respond. We've got at least a few new firmware updates to come this year, so the proof will be in the pudding.

I do wonder where they could go from here. The amount of new APIs per release will have to slow down some time (heck it may have already have with 2.1, that only had live wallpapers added), and Android is already mightily robust in terms of feature set. I know that eventually they'll make some major enhancements to the Android Market, but if asked I wouldn't be able to say what they would be able to improve, outside of maybe searching. Tags maybe?

The focus for Android for the future will probably emphasize new APIs and features less and probably instead focus on improving the look and feel of the OS, as 2.1 has started to do. Google seems so committed to this that they contracted a third party (Cooliris) to overhaul the stock Gallery app in 2.1. Improved media support is also probably coming, maybe more valid file types and a dedicated video playing app.

Though I will say one thing I am looking forward to more is possible browser enhancements, like (especially) bookmark syncing with Chrome, and hopefully eventually, support for Chrome extensions.

 

[SimleuqiR]

Full Firefox running on Android.

You'll note that this is the full Firefox interface, and not the Fennec/Firefox Mobile UI; we're testing with the full interface because it's significantly more complex than the mobile UI and stresses Gecko much more. So, if the full UI works, then Fennec should work fine as well.

 

[Fantasmo]

TRY THE X-SCOPE BROWSER.

It's super fast, super smooth, has incredible features, lightweight, easy and intuitive, great options, etc.

From a usability and speed standpoint, I can't imagine anything better. You've got all your main browser functions in a small hideable and scrollable toolbar, a search bar you can hide and bring up with the search button if your phone has one, a really tiny non-intrusive progress bar, tabs you can swipe back and forth from and to, pin zoom which is easier than pinch zoom, volume rocker as Page Up and Page Down if you want, and you can set the display to Always On while you're browsing.

Even the stock browser is clunky compared to X-Scope! In about 30 minutes you'll wonder why you ever dealt with Dolphin or the stock browser. I can't imagine wanting Firefox aside from extensions, which separate apps handle very well anyway.

Also, X-Scope works with something called adfree, so go nuts.

 

[ThatObviousUser]

You guys are getting better at updating before I do. :lol

Edit- I'd want extensions for bookmark syncing with my Desktop installation of Chrome (which would have the Xmarks extension.) Bookmark syncing is a HUGE deal for me. If there was ever a Weave extension for Chrome, no doubt I would use that.

 

[kaching]

I do wonder where they could go from here...

Tighter integration with their services, tie the Android devices further into the cloud. I don't see much integration with Docs for example, other than the basic mobile viewing setup enabled through the browser, which is the same as it is for other non-Android phones. Especially now that they've enabled file storage within the Docs infrastructure, that seems like it's ripe for integrating more native support into Android.

Seems to be a fair amount of requests for the ability to sync with Exchange too, offer more business class support in the OS.

Obviously better media player support, but you mentioned that.

But I think the key thing is really going to be to continue to push the benefits of being a device fully embedding itself and dependent on cloud services, more than standalone "app" services. I think that's where they've got to forge their distinct identity from the likes of the iPhone OS.

 

[Hawkian]

Very interesting browser, I can see it replacing Dolphin for me when it is a little more polished , has skins/themes, and has a couple more features. The history is great.

 

[FreezeSSC]

Okay so just got my nexus one quick question however since im new to android, if i put a video into the SD card how do i play them? do i need to d/l an app for that? and if so what would you guys recommend?

 

[SimleuqiR]

Okay so just got my nexus one quick question however since im new to android, if i put a video into the SD card how do i play them? do i need to d/l an app for that? and if so what would you guys recommend?

Go to the Gallery app that came with the phone. You can browse and play videos from there.

 

[Fantasmo]

Very interesting browser, I can see it replacing Dolphin for me when it is a little more polished , has skins/themes, and has a couple more features. The history is great.

No no no... skins ruin and slowdown browsers. Everything is right where I need it, fast and responsive.

Stick w/ Dolphin dammit ;-)

 

[pxleyes]

No no no... skins ruin and slowdown browsers. Everything is right where I need it, fast and responsive.

Stick w/ Dolphin dammit ;-)

But dolphin is fugly...so skins is the only thing that saves it atm.

 

[negreenfield]

I agree that they really need to integrate googledocs with Android. I'm currently using GDocs which seems to always lose my documents and only show a couple and Evernote I'm trying out to see if it can serve the purpose of Outlook's Notepad/Memopad for blackberry integration until Touchdown gets that piece figured out. Obviously if Android had native Outlook integration I'd be fine. I currently can't use the basic Email app because my company doesn't allow ActiveSync to anything besides Blackberries.

 

[jon bones]

Have you ever wanted to use your Dropbox but didn't have a computer nearby? Dropbox's mobile website (http://m.dropbox.com) makes it happen. With Dropbox mobile, you can browse and open files in your Dropbox directly from your phone or mobile device's browser.

If you own an iPhone or iPod Touch, download the Dropbox App for an even better experience. It's free!

Do you own a Blackberry or Android phone? Don't worry! We've got plenty more mobile magic coming soon!

 

[Linkhero1]

Full Firefox running on Android.

YES!

 

[ThatObviousUser]

It's no surprise to me that Fennec is coming along so quickly (less than a month ago they were just "looking into" Android while concentrating on Maemo and WinMo) because of the NDK. I think the NDK gets overlooked an awful lot when people talk about developing for Android and porting existing apps to it.

 

[Hieberrr]

I don't know what happened today, but my Magic was not able to receive any calls at all today. I got home to find out that someone tried to call me around 10 times, but my phone did not ring at all. It wasnt the volume/silent mode, so I have no idea as to what was going on. I mean there was no notification for incoming calls at all.

I had to boot it off and restart the phone in order to get it working again. Was it because of my settings or simply because of my sim card?

 

[trinest]

Full Firefox running on Android.

And people are going to love it because its Firefox.

Its bloody covering half the screen and that isn't an issue to you?

 

[stressboy]

And people are going to love it because its Firefox.

Its bloody covering half the screen and that isn't an issue to you?

Didn't the article say they were only running the full interface for testing purposes?

 

[Schrade]

And people are going to love it because its Firefox.

Its bloody covering half the screen and that isn't an issue to you?

Someone doesn't know that Firefox has a configurable interface.

 

[Hawkian]

But dolphin is fugly...so skins is the only thing that saves it atm.

yup. x-scope is a little too minimalist for me, the tabs are pretty tiny.

I just rooted and installed a custom Sholes rom, and the multitouch browser from the Nexus One is pretty good too.

 

[eznark]

Have you ever wanted to use your Dropbox but didn't have a computer nearby? Dropbox's mobile website (http://m.dropbox.com) makes it happen. With Dropbox mobile, you can browse and open files in your Dropbox directly from your phone or mobile device's browser.

If you own an iPhone or iPod Touch, download the Dropbox App for an even better experience. It's free!

Do you own a Blackberry or Android phone? Don't worry! We've got plenty more mobile magic coming soon!

Thank god. That (and a Mint app) are the two things I have been missing most in my switch from iphone.

 

[SimleuqiR]

Didn't the article say they were only running the full interface for testing purposes?

Yup. This was a proof of concept before they jump into development on Fennec, which is mobile Firefox.

Edit:

This is how Fennec looks like:

More info here: http://jkontherun.com/2010/01/30/firefox-for-maemo-first-look/

 

[eznark]

I couldn't even last 3 minutes with x-scope, let alone 30. Terrible.

 

[womp]

yup. x-scope is a little too minimalist for me, the tabs are pretty tiny.

I just rooted and installed a custom Sholes rom, and the multitouch browser from the Nexus One is pretty good too.

Let us know what you think of the overclocking. Would be interested in hearing your opinion.

 

[eznark]

Let us know what you think of the overclocking. Would be interested in hearing your opinion.

any help on this?

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=19619513&postcount=3374

 

[Hawkian]

I couldn't even last 3 minutes with x-scope, let alone 30. Terrible.

Yeah, it needs a bit of work. I can see how someone into minimalism work dig it.

Let us know what you think of the overclocking. Would be interested in hearing your opinion.

k What's the actual app I need for the overclock? The SholesMod app, though completely awesome, doesn't install it as part of the deal.

eznark, when that box pops up is there a "remember?" checkbox?

 

[Fantasmo]

I couldn't even last 3 minutes with x-scope, let alone 30. Terrible.

You can't be serious! It does everything you need it to do in a few swipes, and it's super smooth. Dolphin is chunky and slow with everything it does in comparison. Shit, if I try to shrink or scroll or maximize an image heavy window, the phone completely chugs.

I guess if you're into loud sound systems, funky paint jobs, and spinners, then Dolphin is where it's at. The stock browser doesn't have enough useful options and still takes several clicks to do rudimentary functions.

If I want to add a favorite, navigate a bunch of tabs, and read the entire screen, Xscope lets me manipulate all that fast and easy.

I'm not gonna get into an argument with you here, but I hope too many people don't think like you, because I want it to be around for awhile and it's actually really good at... BROWSING THE WEB.

 

[Hawkian]

I think donating to the developer would do a lot more than hoping a certain amount of people feel one way or another

 

[eznark]

I like minimalist, but I also like clean. The browser interface looks like it was drawn with a bic pen.

I check the remember box but it doesn't seem to remember. How do I get back into the command line after I type su? Anyone know?

 

[BigFwoosh]

What's the actual app I need for the overclock? The SholesMod app, though completely awesome, doesn't install it as part of the deal.

The app is called SetCPU. It's on the Market for a fee, or you can download it from the the developer's XDA thread for free here.

 

[D'ultimate]

Theres also an app called Overclock, which is actually free. SetCPU is $0.99.

 

[Hawkian]

Theres also an app called Overclock, which is actually free. SetCPU is $0.99.

Any difference between the two programs? I'd just as soon go for the free one from the market if I can...

 

[D'ultimate]

Doesn't seem to be much, if any. I'm gonna try the free one first, see how that one goes.

 

[mrklaw]

is there an android hardware thread?

I'm wondering whats the best android phone that is available in the UK? Sim free or contract, don't care

 

[Hawkian]

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?p=19627964#post19627964

 

[D'ultimate]

Cant get to the Overclock widget to go over 550. I change it but it won't set.

 

[Hawkian]

Hmmm. Weird?

 

[BigFwoosh]

Theres also an app called Overclock, which is actually free. SetCPU is $0.99.

Just as a reminder, SetCPU is technically free too, you just have to download the .apk off the forum. It supports speeds up to 1.1GHz, but you have to make sure to choose Auto-detect when you start it the first time. If you choose Droid/Milestone it will cap at 550 or 600, I don't remember which.

 

[eznark]

Just as a reminder, SetCPU is technically free too, you just have to download the .apk off the forum. It supports speeds up to 1.1GHz, but you have to make sure to choose Auto-detect when you start it the first time. If you choose Droid/Milestone it will cap at 550 or 600, I don't remember which.

Any clue what I am doing wrong here, I think you followed these steps to get your Droid rooted and oc'd;

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost...postcount=3374

 

[BigFwoosh]

Any clue what I am doing wrong here, I think you followed these steps to get your Droid rooted and oc'd;

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost...postcount=3374

Link is broken, can you repost it?

 

[eznark]

Link is broken, can you repost it?

Okay, I am having the same "permission denied" problem.

I did as described above and typed "su" into the command line. A box pops up, I check remember and allow. However, then I can no longer run anything in the cmd prompt. Just restates everything I type.

Any help?

Took me forever just to get that far, and now I am invested in figuring this out...I cannot be weak and pay!

 

[BigFwoosh]

Took me forever just to get that far, and now I am invested in figuring this out...I cannot be weak and pay!

I think that for some commands that is what is supposed to happen. It won't tell you anything useful; instead it just spits out what you just typed. As long as you don't get a "Permission denied" or some kind of error, you should be fine. Can you post exactly what you're seeing?

 

[eznark]

I think that for some commands that is what is supposed to happen. It won't tell you anything useful; instead it just spits out what you just typed. As long as you don't get a "Permission denied" or some kind of error, you should be fine. Can you post exactly what you're seeing?

I'm not on the computer that I was using but essentially the command line looks like this:

$ su [I hit enter]
su

It removes the "$" from the beginning and nothing I type from then on is recognized. If I type say "C:" to try to get back to a fresh start it just spits it back "C:" but moves onto the next line, blankly.

 

[D'ultimate]

Just as a reminder, SetCPU is technically free too, you just have to download the .apk off the forum. It supports speeds up to 1.1GHz, but you have to make sure to choose Auto-detect when you start it the first time. If you choose Droid/Milestone it will cap at 550 or 600, I don't remember which.

Can you provide a link to the .apk or the forum?

edit: Nvmd

edit2:This one seems to set it higher. At least the widget reads 800.

 

[BigFwoosh]

I'm not on the computer that I was using but essentially the command line looks like this:


It removes the "$" from the beginning and nothing I type from then on is recognized. If I type say "C:" to try to get back to a fresh start it just spits it back "C:" but moves onto the next line, blankly.

Do you have the Superuser Permissions app open on your phone when you do this step?

 

[Macho Madness]

Seesmic just got an update that makes paying for twidroid pro completely pointless.

-Multiple Account Support
-Remembering Scroll Position
-Adding an Extra Large text size option
-Your profile information (avatar, number of following and followers,...) will now be updated automatically
-Changing your Twitter account password will now be handled by the application
-Composer now auto-corrects and auto-capitalize your words and sentences
-Notifications are now cleared when the application is accessed from Launcher
-Easily changing default account from the application's Settings
-Can remove a Twitter account simply by pressing on it

Now I think the only reason to pay for twidroid is a silly widget.

 

[eznark]

Do you have the Superuser Permissions app open on your phone when you do this step?

That is what opens when I type su

huh, now I can't even get that to open on the phone

 

[pxleyes]

Have you tried Tweetcaster? It is really beautiful.

 

[Fantasmo]

I think donating to the developer would do a lot more than hoping a certain amount of people feel one way or another

I did my part.