Pages Tagged “Mobile”
Tech Tips
- Airplane Mode: Battery Saver! An old phone with an old battery was still powered after two weeks.
- Android App Crashing on Start? Clear the Cache An app was crashing every time I tried to launch it. Clearing the cache fixed it without having to uninstall and reinstall, or clear the (extensive) data.
- Android Browser Using Extra Space? Check Gears! (Obsolete) Android’s web browser stores several types of data: cache, history, cookies and passwords…and Gears, which might use more memory than you’d expect!
- Android Stops Syncing When Low on Space If your Android phone gets a Low on Space warning, take care of it. The phone will stop syncing messages, contacts and email until you do.
- Android Won’t Stop Vibrating Notification options are per-app and per-conversation, so if you change vibration, you need to change it on everything you’ve already set.
- Cloning a GitHub Repo via Mobile Firefox Even on a tablet with a big enough screen that GitHub looks like it’s showing the desktop version, you might have to insist on it to get all the buttons to appear.
- Forgetting Out-of-Range WiFi Networks on a Samsung Galaxy Phone (Obsolete) The tedious solution: Rename your own hotspot, remove it from the phone, then rename it back.
- G1 Sync and Texts Blocked? Check Your Apps! (Obsolete) Lack of space can prevewnt Android from doing basic things like syncing and sending/receiving messages.
- Get Your Phone (or Tablet) a Case! You WILL drop your device. A case will make it a lot less likely for it to break. (Ask me how I know!)
- How to Change the Default Email App on Android It’s not in Default Apps, so you need to clear the default preferences for your old app first.
- How to Put a Phone Extension in Your Android Contacts Use a comma for pause just long enough for the remote to pick up, or a semicolon to wait for a greeting first.
- KeePass Password Managers KeePassXC, its browser extension, and KeePass2Android are a nice, clean set of apps to manage your passwords on your OWN desktop and mobile devices, auto-fill websites and apps, and sync over your own server or cloud provider.
- Mobile Web Layouts vs. the Viewport Mobile web browsers now use a larger virtual screen to provide an imitation desktop experience - even if you’ve provided a better one tailored for small screens.
- Notes on E-Paper Display Computers A low-power e-ink laptop sounds great, but I haven’t found any yet. Just prototypes, Android tablets, and high-powered e-ink/OLED hybrids.
- PineTab2 Notes: Getting Things Working Things I’ve had to do on my PineTab2 to get various features working and/or usable.
- Preventing Notification Overload My approach: figure out which ones are most and least important, then turn off the least and only keep sound for the most important.
- Reformat an SD Card for a New Android Device You can’t reformat an encrypted SD card from an old Android device, but you can plug it into a PC and reformat it there.
- Third-Party App Stores Won’t Install on Android? Check Screen Dimmers Android won’t react to an Install button if the screen image is filtered by an app like Twilight or Lux. Fortunately it’s easy to turn them off temporarily.
- Using Bookmarklets on Android You can’t use menus for bookmarklets, but you can use auto-complete.
- Using BOOX Devices’ Page Flip Buttons With Third Party eBook Apps A few eBook apps work with the buttons out of the box, but most need you to enable page-flipping with volume buttons, one app at a time.
- Using vi Without an Escape Key Ctrl+[ usually works as ESC, and if you can send that combination somehow, you can still use vi!
- Why Google Buzz Won’t Run on Your Android Phone (Yet) (Obsolete) Buzz relies on several HTML5 features which were added to the browser with Android 2.0. Older versions support Gears instead, which may be the way to solve it.
Blog Posts
- Almost Got It
The kid has been watching a zillion teardown/repair/dismantling videos of various devices on YouTube, and wants to learn to repair phones. So I took the old phones and tablet that I’d set aside for e-waste collection, and the tools I used to do battery replacements on a couple of devices a while back, and let […]
- 15 Minutes with Minecraft Earth
Took Minecraft Earth for a spin around the block. Most of the demos I’d seen showed either the build-on-a-plate mode or the AR adventure mode, so I wasn’t sure how the map mode was going to work. You see a Minecraft-ified version of your local area. Real-world buildings appear as raised ground instead of buildings, […]
- Preventing Notification Overload
To keep myself from getting distracted by too many notifications on my phone, I ask myself the following questions whenever a new category pops up: Will I need to act on it? (Likes/favorites are nice, but I don’t need to respond.) How time-sensitive is it? (“Your ride is here” is more time sensitive than planning […]
- The Smartphone Paradox: Social Media vs. Actually Using the Damn Thing
This post I rescued from my Google+ archive in August 2011 really speaks to how quickly expectations for mobile computing were derailed by the social media feedback loop. Years ago, I wanted a smartphone so I could write down all the blog posts I compose in my head when Iâm away from a computer. Now […]
- Who are phone notifications for?
Phone notifications aren’t notices, they’re alerts. They should serve your interests as the person using the phone, not the interests of the app or service.
- Trying to get at the features left out of the mobile app
If someone wants to use the functionality youââ¬â¢ve left out of your mobile site or app, and is willing to slog through the desktop site on their phone or tablet, you should at least let them get at it!
- The Lesser Evil of Selfie Sticks
I’ve known about portrait distance for a while, and often thought that was a downside of using fixed-lens phone cameras for portraits. To frame someone’s face in a phone you have to either zoom (losing detail) or hold it close enough that the viewing angles distort the face. I prefer using my phone for long […]
- More on Facebook Re-Engagement: Accidental Post by SMS!
Facebook has offered post-by-SMS for ages. They also offer 2FA-by-SMS…from the same number. And they’ve started sending re-engagement notices…from the same number. What could possibly go wrong?
- It’s amazing more email accounts weren’t hacked back in the 2000s
We’d walk into an internet cafe and rent time on one of their computers. Then we’d log into our primary email account over plain, unsecured HTTP.
- Not impressed with the Google Assistant
I’ve had the “Google Assistant” on my phone for a few weeks now. Since I don’t use the always-on voice activation, this means it’s pushing extra notifications based on what it thinks I want/can use. Fortunately it doesn’t do audio alerts, so it’s a lot less intrusive than it could be. I figured I’d give […]
- Remember Netbooks?
A few years back, I debated getting a netbook for trips. Improvements in mobile phones and tablets have resolved all the reasons I wanted a mini laptop.
- Tablet Blogging is Actually Convenient!
For short posts, I’m actually more comfortable sitting on the couch and writing on my tablet than firing up my computer and sitting at my desk. This is something I discovered during NaBloPoMo. My workflow typically went like this: Write the post in the WordPress App. Set categories/tags and upload as a draft. Switch over […]
- Too Many Notifications
It takes forever to get a new phone’s alert settings just right. Every app is configured separately, and they all want your attention.
- Coin Slot For Your Cell Phone
The 5YO had an interesting idea tonight: “Devices should have slots that you can put real-world money into.” I explained that it wouldn’t be practical because someone would have to go around collecting it, and meanwhile your phone or tablet would get weighed down by all those quarters or bills. Then I brought up Square […]
- Phone vs Camera
Over the past year I’ve found myself using my camera less and less, and my phone more and more. There are good reasons for it, but something’s missing.
- Battery Life: 1½ Days Doesn’t Matter
Interesting point on phone battery life in Wired’s article on the Google Nexus line: One and a half days doesnât matter….In the morning you want your battery to look 100 percent when you leave for the day. So either somebody solves it for a week battery, or you have to give reliably one solid day […]
- Android Phone: Died and Reborn
The Android 5.1 OTA trashed my phone. I tried everything I could think of, and finally just installed CyanogenMod. It’s outdated, but it WORKS.
- Ode to the Nexus 7
The Nexus 7 Android tablet has been discontinued in favor of the Nexus 9. (via Slashdot.) I’ve had a Nexus 7 (2012) almost since the beginning, and while it’s showing its age, I’ve been trying to stretch out its lifetime, because I actually do still use it on a regular basis. Most of what I […]
- Did Smartphones Make Watches Obsolete?
Smart watch announcements always lead to people saying phones make them obsolete. But phones aren’t the new wristwatch, they’re the new pocket watch.
- Reading, Online vs. Off…or is it Screen vs. Print?
We know people read differently online than offline, and now spillover effects are appearing. But do different types of screens have the same effect?
- Five Ways to Use a Smart Watch at Comic-Con
Reading up on wearable computing got me wondering: I probably wouldn’t use a smart watch every day, but would it help at special events like conventions?
- Mobile: Design for Offline
Mobile apps shouldn’t stop working in a dead zone.
- Nighttime HDR Test: Yerba Buena Gardens
While in San Francisco on business, I wandered into the Yerba Buena Gardens and around the Moscone center. My phone took better pictures than I expected.
- Dealing With Multiple E-Book Stores
I’ve bought books on Kindle, Google Play and Kobo, and read on all three apps. Here’s why I’ve sampled different stores, despite the problems it introduces.
- What’s Wrong With Facebook Updating Itself on Android?
Imagine a car recall, except instead of getting a notice from the manufacturer, you hear a noise in your garage and find someone messing with your car.
- Tips: Keeping Connected at Comic-Con
Smartphones, live-blogs and social networking have brought their own challenges to the crowded world of Comic Con. Here are some tips for staying connected.
- Tablets and the Geek Bubble (i.e. “Who uses THAT?”)
A lot of geeks don’t consider that someone else might have a different use case, workflow or need. Disdain for tablets is the latest expression of this.
- Divide and Conquer
A pair of separate billboards used for Microsoft’s Surface tablet ad campaign. Creative use of existing space.
- How I Actually Use My Nexus 7 Android Tablet
I prefer the tablet to the smartphone when I’m at home, or any time I want to do something for more than a few minutes. But what about the desktop/laptop?
- Nexus 7 + USB Cable = Finally! Upload Photos Without a Laptop!
You can attach USB devices to a Nexus 7 Android tablet with a $1 cable adapter. Even thumb drives and cameras work, though you need an app to read them.
- Mobile Apps and Spotty Connections
Mobile connectivity varies a lot, even in an area with dense cellular coverage. Apps really shouldn’t rely on the connection to be perfect.
- Nexus 7: First Impressions from a Tablet Newbie
First impressions: Good performance, size well-balanced for reading, better than using my phone to type. Sort of regretting that it’s wifi-only.
- Not Sure About a Laptop Phone Dock
Techcitement writes: The Universal Lapdock Is Coming: Enter the ClamBook, the first Android-compatible product by iPad keyboard-case maker ClamCase. Using a single MHL cable…the ClamBook provides an Android-laptop experience delivered by your phone. The problem I have with this idea is that itâs essentially a second device, but one that canât be used without the […]
- I’m Weary of This: Seven Things that Just Bug Me
Some things that Just Bug Me, including language misuse (weary, intensive purposes, full proof) and tech annoyances.
- Glow
It’s true. I’ve been staring at two large glowing rectangles for 8 hours now, taking occasional breaks to stare at a smaller glowing rectangle (as I did on my lunch break), and will probably spend some time staring at one of several glowing rectangles during my evening at home. It really sounds pathetic when you […]
- A lot of web developers have forgotten the lessons of IE6
A lot of web developers have forgotten the lessons of IE6, and just as they used to build desktop websites coded only for one engine, now they’re coding mobile sites specifically for Webkit, even when other browsers would be perfectly capable of rendering the designs they want. This is exactly the sort of thing that […]
- Smartphone: Blogging Irony
Years ago, I wanted a smartphone so I could write down all the blog posts I compose in my head when Iâm away from a computer. Now that I have one, I end up reading Facebook, Twitter, or Google Plus instead, and I compose blog posts in my head when Iâm away from both my […]
- Web Intents
Cool idea: Google is designing a “Web intents” system for web apps similar to intents in Android. For those who haven’t used Android, “intents” allow apps to register actions they can take — such as “I can share (or edit) images!” — and other apps to hand data over to them. That way your camera […]
- G2 Battery Drain, Google Maps & GPS (Update: Wi-Fi)
I finally got hit by the mysterious battery drain that’s been plaguing G2 Android phones. Here’s what I think is happening.
- Recent Tech Links: Unmaintainable Code, XKCD on The Cloud and More
How To Write Unmaintainable Code – what not to do when programming. Computer de-evolution: Features that lost the evolutionary war – ITworld ComputerWorld (via Slashdot) Two XKCD comics: First, “The Cloud” explained. Second, anyone who has used command-line utilities on Linux will appreciate Manual Override. International Usability – Big Stuff the Same, Details Differ (Jakob […]
- App Store: Apple vs. the English Language
Apple denies that, based on their common meaning, the words ‘app store’ together denote a store for apps.
- Recent Links
Those early Priuses are still going strong, ten years later. Never put critical private information online unless you are certain it’s protected. Your tax documents could show up in search results. Optimizing a Screen for Mobile Use (Jakob Nielsen’s Alertbox) Why bad science reporting matters: Churn The Other Cheek Homeopathy vs. Science: A Metaphor
- Google GPS Navigation Needs Traffic Prediction
On a long trip, traffic conditions change. Google Maps uses historic data to show weekday averages, so why not factor it into travel time in navigation?
- That’s Not What I Said!
Things Google speech recognition came up with when I searched for ‘The Lost Bean.’ You’d think that wouldn’t be too hard.
- What’s behind Twitter’s Ban on Twidroyd & UberTwitter?
So, Twitter blocked access from Twidroyd and UberTwitter today, citing acceptable use policy violations, then classily pushing their own apps. IMO this would be similar to Google blocking Internet Explorer or Firefox from accessing their services, then telling people “oh, you can use Chrome.” UberMedia has made some changes to appease the Twitter TOS guardians, […]
- Sent From My…
Maybe “Sent from my iPhone/Droid/whatever” *is* worth including…as a spelling disclaimer. (Sent from my G2)
- GPS Navigation Convert (Sort of)
After avoiding GPS navigation for years, I’ve discovered something I like about it: avoiding traffic congestion.
- Links: Science as a Subway, App Pricing, Terraforming IRL
Some interesting stuff I’ve found this week.
- Internet Access at Comic-Con
This year they had two wifi networks in the lobbies & event rooms, one free & crowded, the other paid & nice. Phone reception varied widely.
- Links: Yen Droid Mobile Woot Quake!
I’ve always wondered how the name of Japan’s currency ended up meaning “craving” or desire in English. It turns out to be coincidence, probably from the Chinese yáhn or yin, “craving.” Word of the Day: yen. TweetUp acquires Twidroid and changes its name to Twidroyd “to ensure minimal confusion with products from Lucas Films.” Fortunately […]
- Netbook, Phone or Tablet?
Comic-Con International is rapidly approaching, and you know what that means: it means I’m thinking about mobile computing again! Right now, I’ve got a G1 Android-based phone, and Katie and I share a MacBook. The G1 is showing its age, and it would be nice to have a second computer to do things like manage […]
- DC Comics Goes Digital
DC Comics has launched a digital comics program, starting with the iPad/iPhone and the Playstation network. And by launched, I mean launched. As in, you can download the app and buy comics right now. I’m really looking forward to the day when they expand this to more platforms (desktop PCs, Android and Windows–based tablets, etc) […]
- G1 Will Get Android 2.1 After All (Update: No)
Android and Me is reporting that all Android phones in the U.S. will get Android 2.1 updates — even the G1 — but that they may be missing some features and some models will need to be wiped as part of the installation. That makes sense, because it would allow developers to reassign some of […]
- Nexus One Thoughts
Google’s Nexus One could well be my next phone…but I’m not ready to give up my physical keyboard just yet.
- First Look Through Google Goggles
I tried out Google’s new Goggles app. Basically it lets you use the camera on an Android phone to do an image-based search. The examples include landmarks, book covers, artwork, logos, contact info, and places. So I played with it for a bit at home tonight. It’s good at picking out book covers and logos, […]
- Netbook, Laptop or Smartphone?
I briefly considered doing a fresh install on the old PowerBook to see if it could be used as a second laptop, instead of just wiping it to recycle, but quickly remembered that the reason we replaced it was a hardware problem. Still, it would be nice to have two portable computers for when we […]
- CDN Breakdown=Bad. Best Buy Mobile Site=Good
One minor rant, and one success story, sort of connected. The rant: My internet connection is acting kind of flaky tonight. Actually, the connection is fine, but it isn’t talking to some content delivery network(s). All the small-time websites load perfectly, but a lot of the larger ones either aren’t loading at all or are […]
- G1: No Android 2 for You!
Early reports say that Android 2.0 won’t fit on the T-Mobile G1. My reaction is mixed: Sure, you drop old hardware eventually, but it’s only been a year.
- Droidmark
I wonder if Lucasfilm will try to assert trademark over the Motorola/Verizon Droid?
- Misandroid
Oh noes! A computer environment (Android) designed for smartphones isn’t a good fit for a netbook? Stop the presses!
- Books on Nooks
With Barnes & Noble’s new eBook reader, you could read a Nook book in a book nook.
- Android FTW!
I wasn’t planning to have a donut today, but T-Mobile just sent Android 1.6 to my phone. I’ve had it almost a year now, and it’s actually a better phone now than it was when I bought it! How cool is that?
- Smartphone Radiation
Wow! Glad I didn’t move to a MyTouch! The G1 isn’t in the Top 10 Radiation-Emitting smartphones list, but it’s not exactly low either. The MyTouch, on the other hand, is #1.
- G1 Nearing Upgrade Limits?
I love my T-Mobile G1, but it’s no secret that the phone has way too little internal memory. Now Engadget reports that the limited memory could prevent the G1 from running future versions of the Android operating system. You can add plenty of data storage (images, music, app data) by dropping in any size Micro-SD […]
- Trying Sherpa for Android
Testing out Sherpa on my Android G1 phone. Not terribly impressed.
- Looking for a Good Android Twitter App
I love Twidroid, but I’m looking for a good secondary app – I’ve tried I Tweet, Twitly, Loquacious, Twit2Go and Twitta, but none of them quite make it.
- Why I Want a Netbook (and why I’m not letting myself get one)
I’ve started seriously thinking about a netbook to get around a few issues with posting by phone, but I know I’d only use it once a year.
- Back to WP-Mobile
I’m really impressed with the new version of WordPress Mobile Edition. It handles both the low-end and high-end (iPhone, Android) devices cleanly and efficiently. I was using a three-tiered setup with WP-Mobile for basic phones, WPTouch for iPhone and Android devices, and of course the regular theme for desktops, but it seems simpler to drop […]
- G1 Fun
Fun climbing office staircase with the G1 and watching as WiFi networks appear and disappear.
- Blocking the Impulse Buy: Shazam, Amazon MP3 Store and Android
How I *almost* bought an album from my phone immediately after hearing a song on the radio, and what obstacles stopped me.
- Cloudy Connection
A cloud device in an area with a flaky connection really underscores the importance of offline sync.
- Reading Comics on the Phone: Hexed on the G1
A look at the way iVerse’s comic book reader works on the Android-based market, and how well it translates comics from print.
- Always a Newer Model
*sigh* I’m mostly happy with my G1, but I just read about the upcoming Samsung Memoir, which is the first phone I’ve seen that really takes the approach I’ve been looking for in terms of photo capability: instead of a phone that’s also a camera, it’s a camera that’s also a phone. Even the press […]
- A Month with the G1
It’s been a little over a month since I upgraded to a T-Mobile G1. Overall I’ve been very happy with it. The Internet-related features are great, I’ve gotten used to how most of the functions work, and I’ve tried it out under various circumstances and played with a bunch of applications. The only problems I […]
- 5 Things I’ve Learned About Twitter
For the longest time, I figured Twitter was little more than a social toy. But after signing up two months ago, I’ve completely changed my view. Here are five lessons I’ve picked up. 1. There are many ways to use it. Twitter asks the question, “What are you doing?” Some people answer that, and post […]
- Roam If Your Phone Wants To
A couple of days ago it was reported that, even with data disabled while roaming, the G1 still hits the internet. It turns out it was an edge case: his phone connected to T-Mobile UK and thought it wasn’t roaming, so it kept data active.
- Opera Mini on Android
Now there’s timing: Just two days after I bought a G1, Opera has released a beta of Opera Mini for the Android platform. You can find it in the Communications section of the Android Marketplace. Amazingly enough, on its first day out, it’s already #2 by popularity. For the most part I’m happy with the […]
- The G1: First Impressions
You may have noticed I’ve been looking for a smartphone for a while, and looking at the T-Mobile G1 more or less since it was announced. Well, I finally went for it. I was going through piles of papers on my desk and realized I had almost enough cashback bonus on one of my credit […]
- Linking the Real and the Virtual
The WaSP Buzz’ article on a new mobile web browser test made mention of phones that can read QR Codes—one of several types of 2-D bar codes that you see on things like shipping labels. In this case, the idea is that you can point your phone’s camera at the QR code and it’ll decode […]
- Camera + Phone = ?
After looking at various smartphones (including the iPhone), I think I’ve figured out why I’m not satisfied with the camera features on any of them. They’re all phones that happen to feature cameras. I want a camera that happens to feature a phone. Update: a year later I found one, but I’d already bought a […]
- Cellular Palm Tree
The drawback of cellular phone technology is that you need to have transmitters everywhere. In a big city you can probably mount them on buildings, but in the suburbs, you just have to put up towers like you do for power lines and land-line phones. Every once in a while, someone decides to pretty things […]