Android apps

[MYstIC G]

I'm not an Android user but this seems very smart

Plan B Locates Your Lost or Stolen Android Phone, Even If You Didn't Install It Beforehand

 

[Tom]

Fuck websites that cover their articles with Lifehacker Facebook shit things so you can't read what's written.

 

[MYstIC G]

Soz, here's the link
https://market.android.com/details?id=com.lookout.labs.planb

 

[Embattle]

https://market.android.com/details?id=gov.nasa&feature=search_result
https://market.android.com/details?id=gov.nasa.jpl.spaceimages.android&feature=related_apps

 

[dysfunction]

Very similar to the one I posted:

This looks quite good!!

Android Lost

 

[caLLous]

What keyboards do you fine people use? I tried Swype because it was installed on the phone but I'm *really* liking SlideIT, especially as it has a QWERTY French add-on (hush Wazz ). I can't abide AZERTY.

 

[dysfunction]

I am currently using this one:
GO Keyboard - Android app on AppBrain

The "black" theme looks great!
GO Keyboard Black Theme - Android app on AppBrain

 

[DaGaffer]

I'm not an Android user but this seems very smart

Plan B Locates Your Lost or Stolen Android Phone, Even If You Didn't Install It Beforehand

I'm going to send that link to the missus, she's always losing her bloody phone.

 

[caLLous]

Anybody use WhatsApp Messenger? Looks pretty fantastic tbh, free (for the first year, $1.99pa thereafter) SMS/MMS 'replacement'. It uses wifi and data instead of mobile phone networks as I understand it. It's got good reviews, over 30000 of them on the android market (not all good admittedly).

WhatsApp Messenger is a cross-platform mobile messaging app which allows you to exchange messages without having to pay for SMS. WhatsApp Messenger is available for iPhone, BlackBerry, Android and Nokia and yes, those phones can all message each other! Because WhatsApp Messenger uses the same internet data plan that you use for email and web browsing, there is no cost to message and stay in touch with your friends.

In addition to basic messaging iPhone, Android, Nokia and BlackBerry WhatsApp Messenger users can send each other unlimited images, video and audio media messages.

 

[dysfunction]

Or you could just use Google+ which is free!

 

[PLightstar]

Does anyone know of a decent calender that is independent of the built in one? Running GingerVillian on my Desire and the calender has problems syncing with exchange and google, plus it looks a bit dull.

 

[dysfunction]

I use this one:

Calendar Pad
by MoaiApps
>250,000 downloads, 10150 ratings (4.2 avg)
Free

 

[MYstIC G]

Anybody use WhatsApp Messenger? Looks pretty fantastic tbh, free (for the first year, $1.99pa thereafter) SMS/MMS 'replacement'. It uses wifi and data instead of mobile phone networks as I understand it. It's got good reviews, over 30000 of them on the android market (not all good admittedly).

It's only really useful if you get everyone you know to install it.

 

[caLLous]

Tru dat but I do like the idea of it using your number so it's as if you are just sending a text, I've already played with it with some overseas friends and it works really well. Also useful because where I live is in right slap bang in the middle of an area with no mobile coverage - a voice call equivalent would be handy as well! Skype is good but I would like something that uses the phone number... So using t'net instead of mobile networks for voice calls but using my phone number and not some third party user id or something.

 

[caLLous]

Viber. Interesting... Wish it could work without the caller having to install it though! I suppose that's probably on the hard-to-implement side of things.

 

[Lamp]

I can't decide between SlideIT or Go....the Android default keyboard is not that good - was tweeting a m8 earlier & had to retype it - predictive text turned it into a load of gibberish

 

[caLLous]

Anybody got a good, reliable PC > android streaming system setup? I've tried with Allshare because it was on the phone and because I have a Samsung telly so I thought it would be a nice harmonious setup but it can't (or won't) play x264 in a mkv container apparently.

The phone itself plays everything I can throw at it (from crappy little 3gp videos all the way up to glorious 1080p true hd transport streams) so I know the media player is capable of playing all this stuff, but Allshare just says "unsupported file format". I have a NAS with Twonky installed and afaik I am not able to install anything else. I goto play stuff off the NAS on my phone and I get mime errors with the x264 stuff.

Ideas please.

 

[Zenith.UK]

Part of the problem is that CIFS support isn't cooked into most production ROMs for phones. Samba shares don't lend themselves well to streaming, but CIFS shares are treated like a local drive.

I've not got a perfect streaming solution either, but I've got a few get arounds.
Rockplayer is good for some, the built in video player okay for others.
Qloud Server is another possibility but it's not exactly easy to use or shuttle along the time. https://market.android.com/details?id=mobi.qiss.vega.ad&hl=en
Orb is another one. Welcome - Orb
VLC Streaming is another. VideoLAN - The cross-platform streaming solution

 

[caLLous]

Thanks Zen. Have played a bit with VLC, I'm still investigating. In this day and age I would've thought it would be a relatively simple thing to set up but apparently not.

It's by no means essential but it would be nice to hook everything up so I have that option.

 

[dysfunction]

If you had a Galaxy S2 and one of the latest Samsung TV's the TV can be viewed on and controlled by the phone using the wifi network....

Probably not much help to you!

 

[caLLous]

Probably not much help to you!

Mmmmm!

I can't believe it's so difficult to get this working in a stable fashion. I tried VLC Stream and Convert but the results are horrible, if it works at all (over 802.11n about 2 metres from the router).


I see virtually no support for Allshare anywhere.

 

[Tuthmes]

Samba shares don't lend themselves well to streaming, but CIFS shares are treated like a local drive.

Uff, I take it this counts for Linux distributions aswell? That could put a dent in my Linux HTPC/Server idea.

 

[Zenith.UK]

Uff, I take it this counts for Linux distributions aswell? That could put a dent in my Linux HTPC/Server idea.

Actually, it was Linux that put me onto CIFS in the first place.
I was mapping my drives in /etc/fstab and using the Samba authentication method. I was finding that my other PC's wanted to download the video before playing it all the time.
Changing the VFS to CIFS solved the problem. Videos played in exactly the same way as if they were on the local drive.

sudo mount -t cifs //netbiosname/sharename /media/sharename -o username=winusername,password=winpassword,iocharset=utf8,file_mode=0777,dir_mode=0777

 

[Tuthmes]

Actually, it was Linux that put me onto CIFS in the first place.
I was mapping my drives in /etc/fstab and using the Samba authentication method. I was finding that my other PC's wanted to download the video before playing it all the time.
Changing the VFS to CIFS solved the problem. Videos played in exactly the same way as if they were on the local drive.

sudo mount -t cifs //netbiosname/sharename /media/sharename -o username=winusername,password=winpassword,iocharset=utf8,file_mode=0777,dir_mode=0777

Cheers, will make a note of it.

 

[Bahumat]

I can't decide between SlideIT or Go....the Android default keyboard is not that good - was tweeting a m8 earlier & had to retype it - predictive text turned it into a load of gibberish

I have SlideIT and must say it's very nice. It automatically inserts a space after each word, however it cannot do this after one letter, but that's not the end of the world.

Only real con is I cannot find a way to add a word such as Don't. When you try to add the word, it does not understand you want the text before and after the '.

Most words with ' it knows, but meh!

 

[GReaper]

Just to update the thread with some apps I've either used recently or deserve another mention for those who may have missed it.

Rocket Bunnies (Video) - Great game, free. Only problem is the limited number of levels and the game hasn't been updated for months. I'd pay for more updates, damnit.

Cut the Rope (Trailer) - Cut the Rope officially released for Android! Pleasing physics in an Angry Birds sort of way, but different.

Cordy (Trailer) - Amazing platform game, partially free levels with an in-app upgrade to get the rest. Hardware requirements are pretty high, and quite a lot of downloaders have moaned about having to buy the levels - but for the price it's damn fun.

Doggcatcher (Site) - Well featured podcast listener, switched to it as I needed a few more features for listening to podcasts, which comes to...

Presto (Market) - Speed up podcast listening! I listen to quite a lot of tech related podcasts where they waffle on too much and I'm having trouble keeping up, but setting my podcasts to play at 1.4x speed means I can get through more of them!

 

[Helme]

Anyone here upgraded their Samsung Galaxy 1 to 2.3? I'm getting my 'new' phone tomorrow and it would be good to know beforehand if it has any major issues, or if it's just smooth sailing all the way.

Some newbie recommendations on good Apps would be welcome as well since this will be my first Smartphone ever as I'm finally replacing my ancient Nokia 3310

 

[Lamp]

A few

Apps2SD (unless your phone automatically gives you the option to move them to SD card)
ASTRO (file manager)
Bubble (utterly pointless but fun spirit level)
Compass
Currency (real time currency rates)
Cut the Rope (game)
Dictionary
Google Sky Map (if you ever need to know where uranus is)
ixMAT Scanner or Scanlife (for scanning bar codes & QR)
Jewels Dexluxe (addictive puzzle game)
Paper Toss (game)
Pumpkins v Mummies (game)
Soundhound (whistle, hum or sing part of a song and this app will find it)
TED Air (TED talks)
Unit Converter
Vexed for Android (game)
Angry Birds (game)

 

[Helme]

Cheers!

must spread more rep around etc sadly

 

[caLLous]

Best Free Android Apps

Some good suggestions there.