Technology Android

[dilla]

 

[Casey]

Soon Even Flights Will Travel with Android On-Board | Android Phone Fans

HTC Shows Off Desire HD in Closer Detail [Video] | Android Phone Fans

Galaxy S Saying Hola To 2.2 Froyo Near Halloween? | Android Phone Fans

Twitter for Android gets updated, brings UI modifications | larsa | Androinica)

Motorola and Verizon score Gingerbread exclusive – Android and Me

 

[THEV1LL4N]

LG InTouch Max - I assume it's the same as LG GW620 which I've heard somewhere that it is a good phone.
From those other phones Spica (portal) is the best hands down. That another LG phone is a low end compared to Spica. The I5800 (galaxy apollo) is also inferior - it has a very strange and small screen resolution and touchwiz instead of the generic Android UI. Also a slower processor and inferior build quality.

So GW620 = a pretty decent phone with a QWERTY keyboard.

Spica/Portal = Much better community support, newest software versions and countless new roms from Samsung and Samdroid community, Samdroid Kitchen, better screen and a faster processor.

If you're not going to play with it much then I guess LG wins it with the Qwerty keyboard. Otherwise Spica wins with pretty much everything else. I'm very satisfied with it, despite the fact that sometimes these new high-ends make me a bit jealous of huge Super Amoled screens or better cameras.
As far as performance goes the Samsung 800mhz chip is fast enough. After all it was "a prequel to Hummingbird". It also has an awesome GPU but there is a problem with it - 3D drivers or lack of proper ones. Because of that the CPU renders graphics (and it does very good job at it, for a CPU).
However new GPU drivers are under development by the community and are said to be built in a final build of Samdroid's Android 2.2.
They already made great multi-touch drivers as well as a lot of other fixes.

And that kitchen thing - you have to download a program called Odin, plug in your phone via usb in recovery mode, install any of those new Android 2.1 roms and then "cook your kitchen" online and download it, place it on your sd card, enter phone's recovery mode again and install it from there. You're done - you have the newest Android version, any Kernel you wish, any rom with everything you want and rooted.
Everything is described in bigger detail on Samdroid.net

thanks. this post was very useful. but why do people change their android kernels. what benefits lie with changing, modifying or updating? does it improve compatibility, stability?

 

[THEV1LL4N]

Soon Even Flights Will Travel with Android On-Board | Android Phone Fans

HTC Shows Off Desire HD in Closer Detail [Video] | Android Phone Fans

Galaxy S Saying Hola To 2.2 Froyo Near Halloween? | Android Phone Fans

Twitter for Android gets updated, brings UI modifications | larsa | Androinica)

Motorola and Verizon score Gingerbread exclusive – Android and Me

about time, i hated that i couldnt retweet most peoples tweets. i'll update and hope it solves that issue for me.

 

[dilla]

Moving away from phones and tablets, what about ereaders, especially the nook? Has anyone had any experience with the Kindle either?

I did not know that they came with free 3G where it was available. I haven't looked too deep into it, but web browsing on that thing would be pretty cool and it's almost like a pseudo-tablet.....for $150 for the WiFi model.

No one uses an ereader? I'm shocked. I figured at least one person on here would be rocking one given how popular they are.

 

[masta247]

thanks. this post was very useful. but why do people change their android kernels. what benefits lie with changing, modifying or updating? does it improve compatibility, stability?

New Kernels for Spica are usually faster and bring good improvements that already get integrated in them. Whenever there's a new fix or improvement it gets integrated in the next kernel so you don't have to load all of them separately.
In case of Spica these were for example things like multitouch, improving loudspeaker volume or modifying some minor things like some icons that didn't display as they should in some cases etc.

 

[THEV1LL4N]

New Kernels for Spica are usually faster and bring good improvements that already get integrated in them. Whenever there's a new fix or improvement it gets integrated in the next kernel so you don't have to load all of them separately.
In case of Spica these were for example things like multitouch, improving loudspeaker volume or modifying some minor things like some icons that didn't display as they should in some cases etc.

am i right in saying updating the custom rom doesnt update the kernel, the kernel is the base for the rom to be flashed over?

 

[Casey]

So it seems as if the new Droid 2 WE (World Edition) has dual GSM/CDMA radios, a different color scheme to the original D2, and 1.2GhZ processor as opposed to the 1GhZ in the original D2. Pretty cool.

 

[masta247]

am i right in saying updating the custom rom doesnt update the kernel, the kernel is the base for the rom to be flashed over?

Kind of. In case of Spica first you have to install an original rom and then the kitchen-thing which includes a custom Kernel that installs over the original one. So you can pick whichever you like while having any rom you like.

 

[Casey]

New rumor:

Motorola Droid Venus dropping on Verizon before Christmas. First device to ship with Gingerbread. Dual core NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor, each core clocked at 1GhZ. Front-facing cam. Will be announced in November.

This will be the superphone to beat for this holiday season. At least in the US.

 

[dilla]

So it seems as if the new Droid 2 WE (World Edition) has dual GSM/CDMA radios, a different color scheme to the original D2, and 1.2GhZ processor as opposed to the 1GhZ in the original D2. Pretty cool.

Does that mean that I could buy it off contract and use it on T-Mobile and AT&T? Or will there be some radio band issues?

 

[Casey]

If it supports the correct GSM frequencies for T-Mob/AT&T then yes. Gotta wait and see.

 

[dilla]

What would be the point of it being released in the US (rumor has it, it will replace the D2) if it can't get on the two GSM carriers?

 

[Casey]

What would be the point of it being released in the US (rumor has it, it will replace the D2) if it can't get on the two GSM carriers?

Because GSM carriers are seen by businessman and students (as well as anyone that travels a lot) as a better choice as they can go abroad and simply place a local SIM in their existing device.

It is logical that Verizon would ideally want a device that can be used for these purposes, and if they could do that whilst not implementing the correct bands for American GSM networks, that would be ideal for them.

 

[dilla]

I see. Makes sense. I could definitely use it if I head to the Caribbean soon. I would hate to have to switch carriers and be locked in to a contract over there. They do have pay as you go, though. Not too familiar with it. Like pricing and value and stuff.

 

[Casey]

How long are you going for? Don't expect to get a data plan there without a contract. If you have wifi where you're staying/working you should be alright though.

 

[Casey]

 

[Pittsey]

^^

I think I want one.

 

[THEV1LL4N]

bloomin 'eck.

 

[dilla]

How long are you going for? Don't expect to get a data plan there without a contract. If you have wifi where you're staying/working you should be alright though.

Assuming I get into a school there, should be about 18 months. About the length of a contract. May just get one.