Android Phones: Post here
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Rocket Ship
Banned
Yeah, I'm not sure how to even see if it's happening. I went to command line and typed arp -a which I think should show it, it showed only my desktop, NAS and router. The phone didn't show up at all even though it's online right now. Weird. I'm not an expert in this, just learned a lot today.
And for the record, iOS did the same thing last year. 3.2 on iPads did it, Princeton reported it in May, and they fixed it via 3.2.1 in July, and of course it rolls out quickly in the Apple ecosystem.
The other really odd thing, is my home is using 192.168.0.xxx. 0, not 1. So I'm now not even sure why it used .1.50 at work this morning. But it was incontrovertible. Printer wasn't working, it had an IP address, but wasn't responding to pings. My IT guy checked the ARP table, then asked "Hey, what's your MAC address?" "That's it, that's your phone." I switched off wifi, and seconds later the print queue started flying out.
And for the record, iOS did the same thing last year. 3.2 on iPads did it, Princeton reported it in May, and they fixed it via 3.2.1 in July, and of course it rolls out quickly in the Apple ecosystem.
The other really odd thing, is my home is using 192.168.0.xxx. 0, not 1. So I'm now not even sure why it used .1.50 at work this morning. But it was incontrovertible. Printer wasn't working, it had an IP address, but wasn't responding to pings. My IT guy checked the ARP table, then asked "Hey, what's your MAC address?" "That's it, that's your phone." I switched off wifi, and seconds later the print queue started flying out.
Rocket Ship
Banned
Last night I Rooted the phone, and installed CyanogenMod 7.1 so I'm running Android 2.3.7. That should fix the battery life issue, and got rid of all the bloatware, and so far performance is actually pretty snappy. No bugs yet. The whole firmware is also much smaller than regular Android, with my Apps reinstalled I'm only at 115MB
The root process was actually pretty easy, but installing Cyanogen is a bit scarier, I thought I bricked the phone at one point, but it's just a bug in install process.
The root process was actually pretty easy, but installing Cyanogen is a bit scarier, I thought I bricked the phone at one point, but it's just a bug in install process.
Hope CM7 works well for you...I'm due for an upgrade soon and will likely retire my Atrix to be my work phone and get the S2 (I'm on ATT, we'll see how 2.3.4 works out of the box)...Post up an update here after you've used CM7 for awhile, might drive me to move over to it.
Have you messed much with the GPS yet? The S2 is supposed to have a SirfIV GPS chip, but I haven't seen anyone do a comparison yet...I get good but not great signal on my Atrix, but it's not as good as my standalone GPS and I don't really want to plunk out the money for a Montana right now. I have piggyback packs for my phones that doubles the battery life (via AA batteries), a little bulky but still work great for backpacking, so if the S2 has a solid GPS, I might just get an otterbox and start using it fulltime instead of carrying phone and GPS.
Rocket Ship
Banned
So far so good on the CM7. I can already see the battery life is greatly improved. I'm still at 94% after having it off charge for 3 hours, and I actually used it for almost an hour. With 2.3.3 I was going through 10% per hour just sitting on my desk.
I had to tweak the auto brightness settings. That's a pro and a con... wasn't right at all out of the box (way too dim), but then you CAN actually change how the phone responds to ambient lighting to suit your tastes. Love it.
The battery drain issue highlights the problem with the Android system, that service providers can hold back updates indefinitely. It's not acceptable. 2.3.4 should work fine for you though. The issue as I understand it was 2.3.3 was not designed for dual-cores. 2.3.4 fixes it.
What do you want to know about the GPS? I have used it, but not "tested" it in any way. My gut feeling is it's not nearly as good as my 76Cs, as the SGS2 did lose reception under an overpass. The 76Cs never loses reception.
I had to tweak the auto brightness settings. That's a pro and a con... wasn't right at all out of the box (way too dim), but then you CAN actually change how the phone responds to ambient lighting to suit your tastes. Love it.
The battery drain issue highlights the problem with the Android system, that service providers can hold back updates indefinitely. It's not acceptable. 2.3.4 should work fine for you though. The issue as I understand it was 2.3.3 was not designed for dual-cores. 2.3.4 fixes it.
What do you want to know about the GPS? I have used it, but not "tested" it in any way. My gut feeling is it's not nearly as good as my 76Cs, as the SGS2 did lose reception under an overpass. The 76Cs never loses reception.
On Friday, 11-11-11, Motorola officially introduces the Droid Razr phone. The Razr is Moto's current top of the line Android 4G model.
Most places are selling the Droid Razr for $200, with contract. Amazon Wireless is offering the Droid Razr today for $111. Thee deal is for new Verizon customers only.
http://wireless.amazon.com/dp/B0061OQJTK
Most places are selling the Droid Razr for $200, with contract. Amazon Wireless is offering the Droid Razr today for $111. Thee deal is for new Verizon customers only.
http://wireless.amazon.com/dp/B0061OQJTK
cnynrat
Expedition Leader
I still like my Android phone. However, Google is not doing an effective job of ensuring Android devices are kept up to date with the latest version of Android. The reality is that many phones are released to the market with a version of Android that is already one or more major versions out of date, and support for upgrades often ends before the typical 2 year phone contract is over. This creates any number of issues for application developers, who have to think about dealing with a multiplicity of Android versions rather than the environment with a single version of IOS that Apple maintains.
Here is a link to a graphic that tells the tale of how out of date most Android phones are:
http://theunderstatement.com/post/11982112928/android-orphans-visualizing-a-sad-history-of-support
Here is a link to a graphic that tells the tale of how out of date most Android phones are:
http://theunderstatement.com/post/11982112928/android-orphans-visualizing-a-sad-history-of-support
esh
Explorer
What? Google has NOTHING to do with that decision! I know this is weeks old news, but it seems to keep being regurgitated...
Let me re-illustrate, as it would take you 5 seconds worth of a Google search to find the same information.
* Google does an OS version release, similar to Intel releasing a new motherboard chipset.
* OEMs then take that OS and modify it, usually stuffing it full of obnoxious battery-draining garbage
* THEN carriers get their grubby mitts on the customized OS and add their bloat, and now they get to deal with say 6 customized versions of an OS version because for all the junk they add they also need to assure it works with anything the hardware mfr modifies
* You get your spanky new phone, bogged down with the extra mfr goodness, but masked because hardware horsepower is so much better than it used to be. (The G1 was pretty much a stock Android OS build).
* then, BECAUSE WE CAN CHOOSE TO DO SO, we can optionally root our spanky new phones, install Titanium Backup and either remove or freeze the bloatware, or we can go to xda-developers or cyanogenmod and roll our own OS. Nice to have choices!
It is up to manufacturers to maintain their now custom OS. But they don't want to do that because that would cost them development money and lower margins. So blame mfrs that like to move away from stock Android (all of them now, for the most part) for a slow OS update.
Google has no role in this. If you develop and want market share, you will be developing for both platforms, especially because of things like Samsung's Galaxy line selling nearly twice as many devices *worldwide* in Q3 as Apple. (http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/42778/samsung-overtakes-apple-smartphone-sales) Samsung doesn't run iOS last time I checked. And Apple is afraid of them (court ordered blocking of tablet sales BS, anyone?). Guess who Samsung recently hired? The creator of CyanogenMod. They are kicking butt and if they had a decent phone with Verizon, I would probably jump to their platform.
Given all the hand-wringing over which Android version will work for which hardware, I am still more satisfied with Android because I can choose what and how I do things. OS releases are no where near as impacting as they were when the platform was new, when a version release meant massive performance improvements. Lately it has been about introducing mostly fluff and re-converging code from the tablet impact, so who cares if you're on 2.1 or 2.3 or 3? Is face recognition *really* the killer app you absolutely can't do without, or are you trying to be the cool kid at a bar and impress strangers?
Android is about choice. I love it. I know a lot of sheeple have no clue about the fact that a manufacturer and carrier controls OS release schedules, but for me I get to choose between a dozen manufacturers with that as another decision element, and with my dollars I get to vote for which one is best. With iOS and Apple hardware, I have no choices. I get to be told how to do something and also be marketed into believing that I love it and can't do without it.
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cnynrat
Expedition Leader
Whoa dude, I think your Android fanboy streak is showing a bit strong here. Perhaps you should go back and re-read my first sentence: "I still like my Android phone."
I agree the phone manufacturers and carriers play a big part in creating this situation, but I'm not willing to exculpate Google either. It is precisely Google's hands off approach to the Android ecosystem that enables phone companies and carriers to walk away from any long term support for the devices they sell. I'd submit it is in Google's power to enforce a different paradigm if they chose to do so.
If you find it satisfactory that the manufacturer and carrier of your phone don't even bother to support the phone with bug fixes through the 2 year contract period, good for you. As an owner of a first gen Moto Droid that is not yet 2 years old and has a known bug with dynamic IP addressing, I don't find this situation to be completely satisfactory. I don't think I should have to root my phone and install a new OS to make it work satisfactorily.
It's also self evident that the multiplicity of OS versions in the field will impose some barrier to the development of apps for the platform. Difficult to measure how much of a barrier, and I am well aware that Apple creates barriers of their own in the iOS ecosystem, but it's clear that it would be easier to create apps that worked across the entire Android market if there was more uniformity of OS versions in the field.
In the end, the data presented is nothing more than a factual account of the reality of the Android ecosystem. There are any number of pros and cons to the Android vs. iOS decision. I wasn't suggesting anything more than that people may want to take this information into account when making their decision.
Google is not releasing the source for Honeycomb (Android 3.x) for precisely the reasons esh and cnynrat point out. The multiple versions of Android 2.x make a support nightmare, and the phone companies and device makers are not interested in supporting a product that has already been sold.
Let's hope Google's rules for Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.x) will keep the variations under control.
Let's hope Google's rules for Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.x) will keep the variations under control.
nwoods
Expedition Leader
Wow Esh, your pot is looking a lot like my kettle 
As for your statement that Google has nothing to do with control over updates and versioning, nothing could be further from the truth. It's called a licensing agreement. Mfr's that wish to load Android on their devices must agree to licensing terms of use. Google writes these terms, thus has complete control over them. They can and should add terms related to support and updating.
Besides being flat broke right now, one of the major obstacles for me even considering a Kindle Fire is that it has a dead end "forked" Android OS. In 2014, I really wont enjoy being locked into 2011 feature set.
As for your statement that Google has nothing to do with control over updates and versioning, nothing could be further from the truth. It's called a licensing agreement. Mfr's that wish to load Android on their devices must agree to licensing terms of use. Google writes these terms, thus has complete control over them. They can and should add terms related to support and updating.
Besides being flat broke right now, one of the major obstacles for me even considering a Kindle Fire is that it has a dead end "forked" Android OS. In 2014, I really wont enjoy being locked into 2011 feature set.
Corey
OverCamping Specialist
Free today:
Today only on the Amazon Market,
Quickoffice Pro
Regularly $15
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004VMZT6S
Got my copy this morning on my Bionic.
I have another Office suite too, but this is considered the best one I think.
Today only on the Amazon Market,
Quickoffice Pro
Regularly $15
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004VMZT6S
Got my copy this morning on my Bionic.
I have another Office suite too, but this is considered the best one I think.
Google releases Ice Cream Sandwich source code
Yesterday, Google released the source code for the Android 4.0 (aka Ice Cream Sandwich or ICS) version that will appear in the Samsung/Google Galaxy Nexus phone in a couple of weeks. Google released a software developers kit for ICS in mid-October. This is a big deal because Google failed to release the source code or developers' kit for Android 3.0 to the general public. Independent developers were stuck using versions of Android 2.x.
With this release, independent software developers can create versions of ICS to run on just about any smartphone. To work at its best, ICS needs hardware similar to that found in the Galaxy Nexus, that is, a 1.x GHz dual core processor and 1 GB RAM. But older phones with slower processors and smaller RAM can be made to work.
Since the phone companies are generally unwilling to spend resources on updates for older phones (they'd rather sell you a new phone with a new contract), the independent programmers are the best bet to help you use ICS on your older phone.
Yesterday, Google released the source code for the Android 4.0 (aka Ice Cream Sandwich or ICS) version that will appear in the Samsung/Google Galaxy Nexus phone in a couple of weeks. Google released a software developers kit for ICS in mid-October. This is a big deal because Google failed to release the source code or developers' kit for Android 3.0 to the general public. Independent developers were stuck using versions of Android 2.x.
With this release, independent software developers can create versions of ICS to run on just about any smartphone. To work at its best, ICS needs hardware similar to that found in the Galaxy Nexus, that is, a 1.x GHz dual core processor and 1 GB RAM. But older phones with slower processors and smaller RAM can be made to work.
Since the phone companies are generally unwilling to spend resources on updates for older phones (they'd rather sell you a new phone with a new contract), the independent programmers are the best bet to help you use ICS on your older phone.
Rocket Ship
Banned
Last week we had another incident where somebody else's Android phone (Galaxy S1) clobbered a computer on our network due to the IP spoofing issue. All Android devices are now banned from connecting to the office network.
I tolerated the CM7 "stable" version (which isn't stable, released as a mistake) for a few weeks, but finally had enough of a couple of bugs, so I decided to move to the nightly builds. Running very well now. Battery life is even better, and the bugs are improved. Loving the phone now. It's great to be free from all the bloatware.
I tolerated the CM7 "stable" version (which isn't stable, released as a mistake) for a few weeks, but finally had enough of a couple of bugs, so I decided to move to the nightly builds. Running very well now. Battery life is even better, and the bugs are improved. Loving the phone now. It's great to be free from all the bloatware.