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Installing Flash onto Android 2.2

Ahh, so my phone just downloaded and installed Android 2.2 (code name Froyo) the other day. Not only does Froyo update enable native USB tethering and getting faster system performance With Android 2.2 loaded on my Droid, You are now able to start playing with Adobe’s Flash 10.1 Player. It’s not as simple as going to Adobe’s website and downloading the beta version of their Android-based Flash player, but within a few minutes even a novice can have flash up and running.

Here’s the deal. You have to have Android 2.2 OS installed on your phone of choice in order to install the Flash player. Finding the Flash 10.1 Player download link was the hardest part for me. That’s linked from the bottom of this post, you have to have to download the installation file to your handset. After downloading the .apk file, you can install the Flash-playing software directly from the phone itself. Alternatively, you can download the .apk file to your desktop and transfer the file to your Motorola Droid.

In order to install flash 10.1 You’ll also have to configure your Android 2.2 Froyo system to accept installation files from “unknown sources.” Do this by navigating to Settings > Applications and check the box for “Unknown Sources.”

If you’re ready to make the upgrade, simply download the Flash 10.1 Player apk file below you’re on your way!

Adobe Flash 10.1 Player beta installation file

[via: intomobile]

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Slingbox for Android drops today

I woke up this morning and saw amongst the emails I received overnight that Slingbox for Android has launched. This is very exciting news. When I initially looked into switching to a new handset I saw only a short list of features that the Motorola Droid would not do which my current Windows Mobile phone (while a bit clunky) was fully capable of. Finally I made the switch figuring it would just be a matter of time until the Android Market caught up. I seem to have been right. After recently seeing the LogMeIn App released (for beta, which I am a tester) Slingbox was really the next big thing on my list. Initial reviews of the app say that the folks at SlingMedia have done a good job and released a truly quality (albeit late to the market) app. My biggest complaint is the app’s $29.99 price tag. I understand that this app has been out for the iPhone and other platforms with the same price; however when it comes to the Android Market, this is quite a bit higher then the average price of an Android app which TechCrunch says is around $9.00. So where do I go from here? I hold. I’ll wait for them to get with the program and drop the price or until I find myself so bored that I just can’t be without the app a minute longer.

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Droid Doesnt …yet.

After being on the market a week I figured it was finally time to go & look at the Motorola Droid.  Initially I was very impressed.  I’ve got a laundry list of demands from my handset & this is the first phone to even come close to date.  The Droid is a relatively compact device, filled with lots of features.It’s got a very speedy response time and it just simply very well polished.  The calendar & contact management seem to be pretty good, & the camera looks as clear as the digital camera I carry with me next to my phone.  Google maps with built in GPS navigation is really cool, and the phone copies & pastes.  (This feature was a big deal to me.)A lot of people are going to really like this phone!I was however a bit underwhelmed.

While my current phone (Verizon XV 6800) is a bit buggy it’s got a lot of features, a number of which aren’t available on the Droid.(Not yet anyway.)  First foremost is a tethering app.Verizon says tethering is coming in January, but unfortunately they’re making customers double down in paying for this feature.Programs such as Joikusoft & WMwifiRouter offer this feature, turning the phone into a mobile internet hotspot while using the existing data plan.(The question of whether or not it’s right to use these programs & not pay Verizon for the additional functionality can be debated in another blog post.)  The browser on the Droid is nice.  It renders pages really quickly, & well, almost making you forget you’re on a handheld device.  I did however notice 2 major short comings in the browser.  First off it’s lacking flash support, & secondly it does not load the LogMeIn interface.  I have since researched & I see that there is not yet any sort of app that runs LogMeIn on Android devices.  I use LogMeIn a lot, and missing this will greatly effect how helpful this phone is to me.

My overall assessment of the Droid is this; I’m quite impressed.  Droid seems like the device that will finally bring Android into the mainstream.  I realize however that I am a power user & this phone just can not accomplish what I need from a device.  Not yet anyway.  I’ll keep my ear to the street waiting for the features I want & hoping for Android’s success.  In the meantime, it looks like no Droid for me.  In this case, my current phone might have it’s fair share [strike that:A LOT] of issues, but I’m not in the habit of getting a new phone unless it’s an either an upgrade or I,’m replacing a broken phone.While the droid does a lot of thing better then my current phone theres still things it doesn’t do.  That’s not an upgrade.

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Apple, Android, and Other Smartphones

I didn’t intend to make a follow up post to my previous phone post right in a row, but as I started writing this, I realized what I was writing was a post very similar to another I had just written. I’m talking about cell phones again. Or am I? Maybe I’m talking less about cell phones and more about PDA’s. That’s really what smartphones are. It’s no big surprise really. Computers started the size of a Uhaul truck, and have just gotten smaller and smaller. Suddenly computers the size of the mac mini, the mac air, and netbook computers. Thought these computers are amongst the smallest computers on the market, are smartphones really so far off from them? I can do almost all the same stuff on my smartphone that I can do on a computer. Why, just last night I logged into my server at work and modified a playlist, starting a new program playing to over 50,000 cable subscribers right out of my pocket.

So while I was out with some friends last night I looked up at the TV screen and saw the new commercial for Verizon’s flagship Android phone: The Droid – hitting the market on November 6th. This seemed to start a friendly argument across the bar between 2 phone geeks like myself. One touting the iPhone and another with T Mobile’s new myTouch. I had to quickly run over and represent the Windows Mobile camp (even though I’m not it’s biggest fan.) Lately I’ve been more of an Android fan. Android is open source and that really is where I think the future of all computing is. Having proprietary anything is a hindrance to getting things done. No one wants to rely on Microsoft or Apple to support a particular type of document or software, and nor do people want to have to search for a specific style of plug just to charge their phone. But open source is so much more then just standardization of hardware, it’s also allowing open development of software creating nearly limitless potential for what can be done from the device. In this discussion, both users (Android, and iPhone) were comparing apps. This was pointless, and I finally just walked away. The fact is any application can be ported over for use on another operating system. The key (and the entire reason that Android is great) is that while an iPhone application would have to be created by someone at Apple or another developer who will later sell their application online or at the app store (without sharing the code, allowing for others to improve it,) Android applications can be created, edited, & shared by ANYONE. While the iPhone was on the market first and hooked a lot of people, the future looks very bright for android devices.

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Cell Phone Telemarketing

Recently I heard a rumor that cell phone companies were planning to release lists of their customer’s numbers to telemarketers. Telemarketers would likely love to get their hands on these new numbers, as the quantity of cell phone numbers now outnumbers that of land lines. Additionally calls to cell phones lead to a more targeted audience because the home phone can be answered by any number of people. A cell phone, on the other hand, is typically answered by only one person. This problem has not been a frequent one, although I do definitely get sales calls on my cell phone about five to ten times a year, so the thought of these calls becoming more frequent and disturbing me at inopportune times was a major concern. We all carry our cell phones on us nearly all the time. At work, school, meetings, church, a fancy restaurant, and many other places where we simply don’t want to be disturbed by even our close friends, never mind a telemarketer! This was going to take some research…

After a bit of searching I have learned that this is just a rumor which started out in a chain email. The e-mail says cell-phone numbers will be made public, and that telemarketers will start calling unless the user’s number is put on the National Do Not Call Registry. The e-mail then gives the phone number for the registry. Rosemary Kimball, a spokeswoman for the Federal Trade Commission, which operates the registry, tells us “That is totally inaccurate; there is no plan to release cell-phone numbers.” She further goes on to explain that there is no government cell-phone registry. Regulations already in place which prohibit telemarketers from using automated dialers to call cell phones. Even though this rumor has been proved to be false it does bring up a good point; how do we deal with telemarketers calling our cell phones? Where did they get my number in the first place? Most importantly, how do I get myself off their list?

Link: National Do not Call Registry – 1(888)382-1222

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Skyfire beta testing

Nearly a year ago I signed up for a beta of a new web browser for my phone. Everyone makes a really big deal about the iPhone’s browser, but this application looked to me like it could potentially be as good or better. Recently I finally got the text message I had been waiting for. It was an official invitation to download the Skyfire beta. I was psyched! So I download Skyfire & let the beta testing begin. On first loading I remember one of the reasons I was so excited about this browser; it’s fast! It actually runs the website content through an off sight server and sends a “down res’d” (squeezed) version to your phone. That’s great, this allows your phone to give a full web experience while leaving the “heavy lifting” to be done by a more powerful computer. I suppose this brings up concerns of who else is seeing what you are, but as long as you’re at least aware of this you can use the program accordingly.

One of the main features which brought me to find this program was it’s native flash support. Once I had downloaded and installed the program I headed over to YouTube and was greeted with the full web version including videos that played right from the website without using any sort of external playe. There’s still lots more testing to be done, but this is quite a nice program. If you have a Windows Mobile phone I would highly recommend checking out this great piece of software.

Link: Check out Skyfire

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Smartphone Review , Tips & Tricks.

A while back, as most people know, the iPhone came out. You just can’t deny it, it’s pretty slick. It is ease to use, it’s pretty looking, and oh so streamlined. Around the same time as the iPhone was coming out my 4th Treo was dying. It was time to get a new phone. I began the arduous task of shopping around to see what was out there. I had a short list of features I wanted in a phone, and wanted to see how many of them I could find in one handset. As I researched and shopped around, I became very impressed with the Verizon branded “XV-6800.” The name isn’t very impressive and was kind of hard to remember, but the phone looked pretty good. Made by HTC (High Technology Corporation) a company specializing in smartphones; the 6800 features a slick easy to use slider design, Windows Mobile 6, and a USB charger. These features were all things I really wanted to get in my new phone. I was able to convince the customer service representative to swap put my 3rd non-working Treo with this XV-6800. (I just had to resign my contract, which was actually just resigned the day before….um, ok…. no-brainer!)

I’ve been using the phone for about six months now, and must say I really love the device. Recently I’ve also realized why I prefer this more utilitarian phone over the beautiful, easy to use iPhone. Apple products seem to play to certain types of consumers. As I have said again and again; the iPhone is easy to use & very stylish, but it does lack in other areas. Apple is just now starting to allow 3rd party developed software, (but you know you’re going to have to pay for it.) It’s good to see Apple is starting to see the light here, because one of the best features of Windows Mobile phones is that there is a ton of software available from all sorts of places to improve the functionality & ease of use of the phones. I’m not saying it’s easy, but if you’re willing to do some research these Windows Mobile Smartphones have some great capabilities. Take a look at some of the modifications I have made to my phone in the link included below.

Link: My HTC XV6800

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